Dear President Barack

Dear President Barack Obama,

            First and foremost, it would give me great pleasure to say that it is an honor having you as our country’s president.  I honestly never thought that I would live to see the day.  Thank God for you and your family.  You are truly an inspiration to our youth and culture.  I pray that you have many more blessings in your life. 

Secondly, I am writing to you to express my concerns as an American citizen and not to complain about things that are beyond my control and yours as well.  I am not sure if my letter will reach you nor am I certain if my letter will make a difference but I decided to write regardless.  I believe that I may need a little guidance in understanding how the U.S. government really works.  I know that we do not have the perfect government and I know we do not have the perfect officials but I was under the impression that I am living in a just and fair country; a place where equality is abundant.  Isn’t that is why so many people from different nations with different skin tones and religious views points migrate to our great land?  So I find it hard to believe that a country this great does little to help it’s American people but you can spend $2.5 billion for NASA to send a little toy car to rover around Mars out of “curiosity”.  However, if a young woman, such as me, applies for government assistance and is denied because she does not meet the requirements enforced by the state of Florida, no one cares and nothing is done to suffice.  Finding life on other planets would be a dream for many not most.  Everything has a purpose and I believe there was a purpose for the Mars journey.  We could possibly use resources from the planet, who knows, we could possibly find a way to survive on the planet but Mr. President Mars is 140 million miles (225 million km) away from Earth.  Would you agree that it is better to focus on home first before we go and disturb another planet’s natural environment? 

            I am asking you Mr. President, what should I do?  Should I accept the injustice?  While our government spends money on miscellaneous and far fetched operations or endeavors, the people are being forced to starve and pinch pennies.  I realize that things may be done according to certain protocol, procedures and/or requirements but if I did not need assistance, I would not have wasted my time applying for them in the first place.  What does the term assistance means?  The dictionary describes assistance as:  To give support or aid; to help.  All I am asking for is a little help.  I do not need anyone to take care of me because the survivor gene flows proudly through my veins but I do need help.  We all need a little help and you know this is true. 

            I am twenty- nine years old.  I work only part-time.  I do not have any children nor am I married.  It may seem like I have a slice of the American dream but things is never the way they seem.  Until you walk a day in my shoes, you will never know or even understand my struggles.    Two years ago, I lost my job working as a waitress at IHOP.  I found that to be a great opportunity to finally go back to school and get a degree.  I was working as a part-time work study while going to school and even though I had some income, the small salary was not enough.  After I graduated with my A.S. degree in criminal justice on May 4, 2012 and was fired as a work study. I found myself with numerous amounts of accumulated bills and now a student loan.  I had to down size by changing telephone service and moving in with my little sister and her three children because I was evicted from my apartment.  I am not turning this into a pity letter.  I need no pity.  Things happen and I am coping and managing as best as I can.  God is making a way.  I do find it hard to eat a decent meal these days.  I find myself at the gas pump making life altering decisions. Food or gas; which is more important?  In today’s economy, five dollars for gas will send me further into debt.  I would gladly sell my four cylinders 1998 Mitsubishi Mirage but I do have to get back and forth to work and unfortunately, there are no bus routes to my job in this city.  There are cut backs every where.  I can’t even use my criminal justice degree, even though it cost me $28,000.  I find myself eating off a fast food restaurants’ dollar menus despite the fact that most everything you find on these dollar menus is high in fat and calories.  That makes it difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  Let’s not forget that I am a woman, so I am struggling to maintain hygiene.  Just like everything else in the ghetto, the prices for feminine hygiene products are raising every couple of months.  That forces me to buy necessities like maxi pads at the ninety nine cent stores.  Maxi pads from the ninety nine cent stores will not absorb a small puddle of water off a kitchen counter, let alone absorb a woman’s nature juices.  It is almost as if the prices are rising to keep everyone in debt and starving.  When that happens, crime also increases.  Crime is increasing but the criminal justice field is taking cut backs left and right.  We are entering an era of genocide.

            My concern Mr. President, what do a single woman with struggles that are as justifiable as everyone else do for food?  How do I receive medical attention if I am not old enough or poor enough to qualify for Medicare?  At this point in my life, I feel that living right and doing the right things was not the right method.  I personally know people that are living off our government because they are too lazy to want better and quite frankly, living off our government is fairly easy.  The unrighteous that are living on welfare and food stamps has more money than an independent individual, they have more food and receive medical attention at little to no cost to them; while the righteous cannot qualify for anything, including decent financial aid to further their education, even though tuition is up in Florida by fifteen percent.  Mr. President, if you tell me right now three items off the dollar menu or a bowl of ramen noodle soup is a decent meal then I will honor and respect that.  I know you are doing your best and I will vote for you again and a third time if possible because I believe in you.  I would just like to know if my vote really counts for anything.  I would like to see you persuade congress to pass some laws that will show that the government truly cares for the American people.  We are not living in the perfect country so things will not happen overnight but we need change.  WE NEED CHANGE.  I believe you can help rebuild this country and become a great role model for all but it is not fair to leave out a certain group of people in plans for re-growth, just because it seems like they can make it in this tough economy.

Thank you for time.  Good luck on your upcoming election on November 2, 2012.

Warmest Regards,

Starving in Florida

No Prenup! No Way! Kobe's Latest Legal Battle!

             After ten years of wedded bliss, Kobe Bryant and Vanessa Bryant are calling it quits. That’s right; Mrs. Bryant signed the divorce papers on December 1, 2011 saying it was due to irreconcilable differences.  Some may say “finally!”, while others may say “what happened?”  After Kobe’s 2007 rape scandal in Colorado, the world thought Vanessa would leave him but she stuck by her man and her family and tried to make it work.  However, it seems that enough is enough and Vanessa wants out.  It’s no secret that Kobe and Vanessa has been under the media’s radar since the 2007 incident.  Cameras seem to follow them everywhere.  Witnesses have stated that Vanessa and Kobe always seemed so loving.  So, what really happened?

What’s even more interesting, there is no prenup.  Vanessa and Kobe jumped the broom in 2001 when Vanessa was fresh out of high school and Kobe was a NBA basketball player for the LA Lakers.  The two met on the set of a video shoot, Vanessa was a back up dancer at the time.  It may have never occurred to the couple that a prenup was necessary or maybe their love was strong enough until a prenup didn’t matter.  Well then, who walks away with what?  How will Vanessa be compensated for her years of devotion?  In California, property may be divided between the spouses. Should the spouses fail to reach an agreement regarding division; the Superior Court will make the division of the property.  California is a community property state.  Community property consists of all property that was acquired during the marriage, from the first day to the cut-off day of the marriage.  Then Superior Court will split the assets equally between the spouses.  What does all of this mean?!  Kobe is reportedly worth $200 million.  Since there was no prenup and because of the community property law, Vanessa is entitled to half of Kobe’s fortune and let us not forget alimony and possible child support.  It is quite obvious that the couple want to keep the details of their divorce out of the public eye.  Neither party nor their representatives have fully commented on the break. I guess we will just have to rely on our imaginations.

Karmin on the Rise

They started out by uploading home videos of their band performing on YouTube and 150 million views later, Amy Heidemann and Nick Noonan AKA Karmin, are now internet sensations.  Their remix of Chris Brown’s “Look at Me Now” and Lil Wayne’s “6 foot 7 foot” really put the pair, who’s by the way are married, on the map.  The two met at Berklee and formed a band.  They released their first album in 2010 which was called Inside Out.  The couple really got recognized when they appeared on an episode of Ellen and their original song "Take It Away" was used in promos for the 2011 NBA Finals.  The group was signed to Epic records as a part of LA Reid’s return.  This is a lesson to be learned for all the wanna- be’s.  Dreams sometimes due come true.  You never know who is watching you and you never know where fate will lead you.  We can only expect marvelous things from this extremely talented duo in the future.

The Turn Around

The Turn Around is an urban stage play based on real life events of an average American teenager. The Turn Around has something for everyone; young or old. It is a tasteful and inspirational play. You will laugh and you will cry. You will enjoy uplifting songs from the cast members. You do not want to miss this. Please bring your family and come and support myself and the rest of the The Turn Around cast.
**It is never too late to turn your life around**

Starring & presented by Snider Jean Jacques w/ special appearance by Larry Dogg

Pre-Show:
December 11, 2011
Showtime: 7:30 PM
Joseph Caleb Center
5400 nw 22nd Avenue
Miami, Florida 33142

Tickets are $25 regular admission and $30 for VIP & floor seating

For ticket sales you may contact me, LaToya Hill, through email, Facebook or Twitter
This will be the play of the year

Email: latdiahil1983@gmail.comwww.twitter.com/#!/sincerelyme83

Facebook.com/ltoiya.dianne     

Confessions of a Side Bitch- Chapter 1

Side Chick: A woman that is one level above a jump off but always a step below the wife, wifey, girlfriend. A side chick must know her part. She does not get holidays, birthdays (other than her own). While he may meet your family, you will never meet his. (www.urbandictionary.com 1999-2011)

      I don’t know when it started, where it came from or why is it happening to me; maybe it’s the effective outcome of my abandonment issues. The only thing that I can tell you is this is not the life I asked for. When I was a little girl, like most little girls, I would dream of my wedding day.  I would dream of a summer wedding outside in a field of lush green grass. I would dream of my wedding dress. It would be a traditional white wedding dress with a long flowing train and a tiara with a veil. My hair would be styled in an up-do and my makeup would be light except for my cherry red lips and rosy cheeks. My father would walk me down the beautifully constructed isle made from Italian marble and the decorations would be white roses and purple floral patterns all over. On one side of the aisle, where the bride’s party sat, I would see my mother with tears rolling down her cheeks and pride in her eyes. The pastor stood in front of me and to his immediate left, stood my husband-to-be. His palms are sweaty and eyes shifting back and forth anxiously waiting. Suddenly his mood changes as I walk down the aisle and towards him. He becomes very calm with the biggest smile on face and the way he looked at me, it was like I was the most beautiful thing he ever saw. He couldn’t wait to make me his wife.

     Back to reality and I’m standing here, alone, in my little efficiency apartment. I’m wondering what happened to my childhood fantasy and when will it all become a reality or if it will ever become a reality. I quickly found out that life isn’t the pretty picture that was painted in my mind as a kid. My world was made up of princesses and princes. I truly believed that anything was possible and that all dreams do come true. In reality, it is quite possible that Prince Charming accidently dropped Cinderella’s glass slipper shattering it as he was about to put it on her foot; then left her in that shack of a house with her stepmother and stepsisters because he has no possible way of finding his princess, so he asked himself “Why take a chance?”. It is quite possible that Snow White was never awakening out of her deep sleep. Maybe her Prince was thrown off his trail and was led into another kingdom far, far away from Snow White’s kingdom that was also far, far away. While lost in this strangely fascinating kingdom, the Prince meets another Princess that was just as beautiful. So why should he bother trying to save Snow White? He does what any normal man would do; he starts a relationship with the other woman.

     My point is maybe fairytales doesn’t exist. Maybe all the stories that ended with happily ever after really ended with tragically ever after but as humans we need something to look forward to. We need some sort of hope in this world to keep us driven and alive. As hard as life is, it’s even harder when you are treated a certain way by individuals based on race, economic status and even domestic status. As a black woman, we have to work hard to be successful, we have to work hard to prove we are good wives, mothers and over all good citizens of the community. We have to do all of this and still manage to keep our sanity. The hardest part for me is being twenty- eight years old, fairly attractive, black and single. Yes single, because a single, black female is lunch meat for a man that has a wife and kids at home.

     Men that want to step out on his wife, usually prey on the lonely and desperate. A woman with no man is easier to have a fling with. The guy doesn’t have to worry about being attacked or stalked by her significant other. A woman with no children is also easier to date because she has no serious commitments leaving excessive amounts of time for him, which is perfect because the only reason why he’s cheating in the first place is because his home life is less than perfect or a complete disaster and he needs a little relief or the company of someone that makes him feel appreciated. Also, a woman with no children has no baggage. He doesn’t have to worry about his side chick asking for ridiculous amounts of money to pay for school clothes, hair dos or doctor bills or whatever else a child may need. At the most, a single woman with no man or children may ask for from her married boyfriend, is couple of dollars to pay a bill that is overdue. For the married or unavailable man, this is the best of both worlds. For this particular man, it is heaven.

     What is an unavailable man? This is a question I get often from friends or family members. I find myself never using the term “husband” or “boyfriend”. A boyfriend is considered to be someone whom we are not married but we are exclusively seeing only each other; we are monogamous. We both work, we both have our own lives, aside from the lives that we share with each other. A husband is the same as a boyfriend except a husband is on a more exclusive level. A husband is someone a woman does not mind tolerating through all his flaws. He is the sole provider for this family. Yes, his wife is working but it’s the man's duty to keep everything together, financially. His life is no longer his life. A married couple is now one person. If the husband makes a decision, the decision will affect the entire family. Either way you prefer to define both terms, these are titles that you have to earn. Then there’s the unavailable man. He is in a league all his own. He is a man that is committed to his lady and his family as a provider and protector for them, however he is not monogamous. In fact, monogamy isn’t in his vocabulary. The unavailable man cheats on a regular and has no remorse for his infidelity. He has sex with other women and can still go home at night and kiss his wife and kids goodnight and sleep light a baby. An unavailable man knows what he is doing is wrong and he is very careful not to let his family find out. Always remember, the unavailable man, is a provider and protector and he will protect his family from whatever danger may come their way, physically and emotionally.

      For a single black woman with no kids and on top on that she’s well-grounded and successful or has potential for success, finding a boyfriend and most definitely finding a husband will be extremely difficult and frustrating. Don’t get me wrong, this woman is an excellent catch. Men will practically throw themselves at her but remember she is successful or has potential for success and she has no kids. All these things represent a woman with high standards so any man will not do. He has to be a brother with the same qualities that she has. He has to be on her level or above it. Most women like her prefer a man with no children but if he is on her level or above and if he genuinely wants to make something happen, she will pick her battles and settle for this man. After all, beggars can’t be choosers. Finding a black man with these qualities will be a challenge and to get him to take the biggest step of all, to settle down with her, is even more challenging. There is a good reason why more and more men are choosing not to get married. Men no longer believe in the sanctity of marriage. My generation has been tarnished by the Lil Wayne videos that have strippers making their oily butts clap in front of the camera, Kim Kardashian posing nude on the cover of Playboy and Maxim magazine, and let’s not forget the rising adult film industry. Porn and stripping is becoming the most sought after occupation for little girls in this millennium. The fast money and attention from men can be addictive to many girls with low self- esteem and self-hate issues. So it's not hard to figure out why men’s perception of how a woman should behave is blinded and the worth of a woman is as valuable as a Mexican peso. Men are also afraid of being eternally scarred. It is a known fact that men fall in love faster than women and their hearts are also broken more easily than women. For these reasons, most men will go at extremely slow pace of popping the big question.

      A typical side chick has standards; she is typically a good wholesome, God fearing, religious but very rarely will she ever be a church girl or a preacher's daughter. This woman doesn't have difficulty finding a man; she has difficulty finding the right man. She will not mess around with just anybody but a jump off will. A jump off is good for only one thing, a quickie. She has no standards and most of the time a typical jump-off isn't very bright. In fact the most you will have to do is pay her a small fee and she's happy. This seems like prostitution to me and you but to a jump off she's getting hers while he's getting his. It is an even trade; however a side chick does not consider herself to be a whore and her boyfriend doesn’t treat her like one either. A side chick is only having sexual relations with that man and only him. In fact, if the man ever chooses to leave his wife, the side chick would be the one he chooses to be with. She knows him and he trusts her. He molded her into the woman his wife use to be. In fact, most men will choose a side chick based on his wife’s own unique qualities or the qualities she once possessed before she “changed”. After having boyfriends who had side families I quickly realized that choosing a side bitch was not a random selection, it’s a process. The unavailable man will be extremely carefully while picking this lucky woman to mess around with. He has to make sure she is not the needy, possessive type or it will leave his family in danger of emotional devastation. Women don’t understand this process; they don’t even know that most men’s infidelity is strategically planned. All they can say and think about is “This woman is taking my husband and tearing my family apart”. So they blame the side chick for their failed relationships. That is a common misconception. If these women knew the truth about their marriages, they would be hurt or even devastated. Women are strong yet emotional creatures, the only way to completely destroy a woman is to attack the one thing we take pride in, which is usually our families. A woman can’t stand knowing that she is so no longer fulfilling her duties as a wife. Our worth is our power, as long as a man feels like she’s worthy of keeping, he’s not going to let her go.

     I admit there are a few side chicks that will occasionally step out of line and try to step into his world uninvited. The murder of NFL player Steve McNair is a perfect example, his side bitch murdered him because he refused to take their relationship to the next level even though McNair was married with four children. Luckily, women like that are rare. Usually the jump off is the type of chick to pull a crazy stunt like that because she is an ignorant, classless hood rat. A side chick is at least one level below a wife or girlfriend. That means there’s a level of trust between her and her boyfriend. Sex isn’t their only magical connection they have with each other. She is also his confidant. The side chick is the one that keeps the relationship between the man and his wife together. She offers advice as to how he can fix the marriage. She offers little suggestions he can use to make her happy so they can stop arguing about whatever it is they are arguing about. She acts as a psychiatric therapist for her boyfriend. He talks to her about things he can’t openly share with his wife. They talk about his job, his closest friends, his family life and his childhood; they even talk about his wife and his kids. Remember, a side chick isn't just a sex buddy, she is his girlfriend. He cares about her and she cares about him. He does things for her as if he didn't have a wife at home. He gives her money when she needs it. He takes care of little things around her house, like fixing something that might be broken. He gives her unsolicited advice and he takes her out on dates. They are indeed in a real relationship.

     Here's a little tip for the wives, once a man’s heart isn't where his home is, he's usually found another place for it. Meaning, the relationship is dead and often times there is no saving it, especially when ever attempt to save it has failed. A side chick is the replacement, she will never be his wife, she will never have his heart the way his wife had it. His wife is the mother of his children; she is the first women that he ever wanted to just keep around for no reason other than he loves her. However, once the divorce is said and done and the man is ready to move on, the side chick resumes role as wifey. In some cases the man is hesitate at moving in with her. Most men are careful about who they let in their homes as well as their hearts. Then there are the lucky females that get their happily ever after. "All is fair in love and war" A side chick knows her role. She finds her marker and when the director yells "lights, camera, & action" her academy award winning performance begins. We stay in our places for one reason and one reason only. We want what his wife already has. We want our boyfriends to make us a wife. So we behave, play the good girl role, we sit and wait for his relationship crumble and when it does we are there to console him and pick up the broken pieces. Can karma come back and bite us in the ass? It sure can. Do we care? Not at all, it’s a chance we are willing to take. So wives do have a reason to worry but she should never be afraid. She can easily save her marriage. How she saves her marriage is up to her.

Evolution of Curves "We Won't Forget Haiti" Charity Fashion Show Tour

Apple Bottoms Presents… The 2nd Annual Evolution of Curves “We Won’t Forget Haiti” Charity Fashion Show Tour

As seen on TV- E! Network TV, STYLES Network & BET

– “Curves are not only back with a vengeance...they are back with a purpose!” said Sandy Jean Philippe (CEO of One Chance Entertainment), as she debut “Evolution of Curves” on E! Network TV. One Chance Entertainment along with Haiti Cheri Heri...tage Foundation are excited to announce The 2nd Annual “Evolution of Curves” (We Won’t Forget Haiti) Charity Fashion Show Tour. The focuses of the tour is the same as last year- to empower and represent curvy women in a positive light and to help rebuild Haiti.

“Last year our tour enabled us to purchase land in Haiti. This year we hope to raise funds to build homes on those lands. Our goal is to get Haitian families out of those hot tents & into a real home! And what better way to do so by providing an exciting show with hip hop music, dance, fashion and curves.” ~Sandy Jean Philippe, Producer

On November 5, 2011 “Evolution of Curves” will make its way to Miami. FL . The event will start @ 6:30pm at Gwen margolis center in North Miami , Fl . The tour officially kicked off in Los Angeles a few weeks ago with a stunning fashion show that earned huge thumbs up and raving reviews. Impressed by the curvaceous beauties’ ability to walk the runway and impressed with their high energy hip hop dance moves, Sean Patterson, President of Wilhelmina Model Agency said, “I represent the largest plus size division and my models can’t move like you gals. I love the entertainment value that you bring!” After leaving Washington DC, these women of curves will continue to bring their impressive show to the following cities: NYC, Miami, Orlando, Atlanta & Dallas.

“Evolution of Curves” is also proud to be the first full-figured fashion show ever sponsored by recording artists, Nelly’s fashion line “Apple Bottoms”. Apple Bottoms is an international fashion lifestyle brand that caters to stylish women of all shapes. The show will feature a few other clothing lines & designers that cater to curvy size consumers such as Dress Barn, Eyani Couture, My Hunny and Majestic Couture.

Tickets can be purchased for a low $25. online at http://miamieoc.eventbrite.com/ or

at Diva's Beauty Salon (15028 N.E. 6th Ave North Miami, Fl or at the door. To find out more about this tour, please visit http://www.EofCurves.com/. For more information about Haiti Cherie Heritage Foundation (a 501(c) (3) tax exempt, non-profit organization) please visit www.haiticherieheritage.org

For any Media Inquiries please contact: Connie Cruz, A-List PR Firm at alistprfirm@gmail.com (330) 577-3476 or Producer, Sandy Jean Philippe at (310) 896-8769 ###

Past celebrity guest: Nivea, Tiffany Evans, Khia, Jelly (BET's born to dance), Arrested Development, Carlysia Levert, Dymond Jazzel, Stylish Talent, NFL Chicago Bears and more...

We are currently seeking: Media/Bloggers Celebrity, VIP, Pro-Athlete appearances Photographers/ Videographers Makeup Artists Hair stylists Please email alistprfirm@gmail.com BE SURE TO INDICATE WHICH CITY you are inquiring about

Entertainers, please email eoc.tour@gmail.com INDICATE WHICH CITY you are inquiring about.

Sometimes I Cry

http://www.worldpoetrymovement.com/

Sometimes when I'm alone I cry
Because I'm on my own
The tears I cry are bitter and warm
They flow with life but takes no form
I cry because my heart is torn
And I find it difficult to carry on
If I had an ear to confide in
I would cry among my treasured friends
But who do you know stops that long
To help another carry on
The world moves fast and it would rather pass you by
Than to stop and see what makes you cry
It's painful and sad
And sometimes I cry
And no one cares
But why