This Book Of Joshua

I've waiting months to tell this story...this book of Joshua. I've waited mostly because I couldn't find the words. I spin these tales of resilience, of how I can bounce & build a bridge over anything. I tell how you that I smile when others can't find their face. I hold my head high when others lose their spine. Yes, I was built Baltimore tough but for this I can't tell you how I felt I can only tell you the facts.

The times that we rushed to labor & delivery laughing at the doctors for their mistakes & caution. Nothing is wrong here. It can't be. That's not the plan. I make healthy babies. Well, I only made one other but look at her she's perfect. And his Daddy...he's never done this before so this has to go well. No screw ups okay?

And so I had my baby boy. All 39 weeks of him. All 10 fingers and 10 toes. All jet black curly hair. All long & puffy. I had my baby boy while my midwife waited for the pediatric doctor. I had my baby boy while my sister sat high on the heating vent. While my new hubby & his mother fought over how to hold my legs. I think I know how to hold my wife leg. I had my baby boy in a crowded room with so many people. And I pushed & screamed & I was relieved & I snapped his first picture myself & my hubby cried.

Minutes old.

 

And they took him away to check on him.

And I was relieved & wanted to fix my hair. I walked myself to the bathroom to find my post labor cuteness and fainted right there on the floor. Something's not right.

Thank God for the nurse who knocked on the door, who let herself in, who got me off the floor, who helped my hubby help me back to the bed. Who made me stay put.

He was born February 27, 2006. 2:05 pm. It was a Monday. He was 7lbs, 14oz. 21 1/2 inches long. The rest of my family held a vigil down the hall.

And then the doctor came in & asked if we picked out a name. We did, us proud parents. Well his sister did...over lunch...when we got to the J's. JOSHUA. We agreed, we ordered appetizers.

That's a great name the doctor said. Do you mind if I pray with you? And so we prayed and we didn't know why. We didn't understand his lungs & why they ingested his first poop. I made a funny. My son is on his shyt...welcome to the family.

We didn't understand. We couldn't. We're all here. Our family is down the hall. When can they see him?

It would be six hours before they let us near him.  After I was settled in my hospital room. After so many tubes down his throat. And stomach pumps. And ventilation. And tears. After the start of way too many tears. They said they needed to clean him up. Clean him up?

And the doctor said, that Joshua, he's a feisty one. He bit one of the nurses. And I knew he would be okay. My son who was just rushed away from me was biting with no teeth. He's fine everyone. No need to be alarmed folks. When can we take him home?

And my hubby wheeled me in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and there was this little man we made. On display. Under a warmer. With things beeping on him. All we could see was beautiful.

NICU Dood

And the nurses kept telling us how sick he was. And I couldn't accept that. Look at him. He's beautiful. And so I cried to my bestie at 4 in the morning about how stupid these people were & how they won't let me take him home. He'll be fine when he's home.

And this became my mantra.

When my bestie used her credentials to enter Hopkin's NICU. When he opened his one eye. He'll be fine when he comes home. 

When he was moved off the resuscitator & then the ventilator & was drinking my pumped milk through a nasal feeding tube. He'll be fine when comes home.

When I held him in front of a group of interns & half listened while they discussed him & made us invisible. This is Joshua, he has Meconium Aspiration Syndrome. He'll be transfered Mt. Washington for several more weeks while he weans off of... When I almost dropped him from the shock of finding out this way. When I screamed the loudest whisper to the nurse. When she pulled him from me as I sank in the rocking chair. When I ran to the nearest bathroom stall crying to my mother. He'll be fine when he comes home!!

But he wouldn't come home. Not for 9 more weeks. Not after he weaned off of the meds that kept him in an medically induced coma as he healed inside out. Not after he could breathe on his own. Not after he gained 2 more pounds. He's not quite ready yet the doctors said. He didn't want to eat on his own. There. He didn't want to be on their schedule. And so I fought.

I fought for permission to take MY son outside. For 10 minutes. Then I begged the nurse who called all the babies Doodles to keep him outside longer as long as I brought him back. She helped me get permission and Doodles & I made the most of our outside time. But I couldn't stop there.

The 1st time I ever took my son outside.

 

I fought to let his minor sister in the hospital to meet her brother at 3wks old.

The 1st time Lyric met her brother. Mt Washington Pediatric Hospital.

 

And I fought to take him off of the prescriptions that made him vomit. And I fought to take the feeding tube out of his nose. And I fought to take him off a schedule. Over family meetings with doctors and social workers. And as much as I made sense there was nothing I could say to these idiots with letters behind their names.

And I suffered. And my hubby spent every non-working minute in the hospital. And my family wasn't complete. And no one slept well. And no one checked Lyric's homework.

And fighting no longer worked.

So I changed course & played along. We need CPR classes. Fine! He needs a swallow study. Fine! He needs to pass a car seat test to ensure his little heart rate doesn't dangerously escalate. Fine! We need in home nursing care. Sign us up! And medical equipment. Bring it on! And his prescription co-pay was $180. Fine, here's hubby's bank card.

And the killer. "Nothing we've done has helped Joshua to feed properly without vomiting and that's causing him not to gain the appropriate amount of weight. We think the next best recourse is to have a feeding tube inserted in his stomach." WELL, YOU TRY EATING WITH A TUBE GOING UP YOUR NOSE & DOWN YOUR THROAT WITH A BELLY FULL OF HARSH CHEMICALS & TELL ME IF YOU CAN KEEP YOUR FOOD DOWN!! OH, & DO THAT ISH EVERY 3 HRS ON SCHEDULE!!! HE'S NEVER EVEN FELT HUNGRY BEFORE. WE HAVE TO LET HIM FEEL HUNGRY THEN HE'LL EAT.


This made sense to me. But I've said all this before. Screamed all this before. Googled for every scrap of anything that would help me convince these people that I know better than them. Little me without a PhD. And so I walked the halls with the other little babies. Some who were finally breaking out at 10 months old, some who would never leave and called this place home. This place that smelled like Lysol disinfectant, rubber gloves, and sadness.

My son wasn't like these other itty bitties or the big kids.. They needed to be here. My son did not.

And so my resistance turned into acceptance. And I decided I would let my 3 month old son undergo the most ridiculous surgery in the history of ridiculous surgeries. And I rode inside the ambulance back to Hopkins because God forbid I take him myself and the ambulance company really needed that $70. And I dressed him in the tiniest hospital gown and shook more doctor hands and forced them to make promises they could only pray to keep. And I wrote "G-tube" with a red washable Crayola marker on his belly so they wouldn't remove a kidney in error. And I waited as he came out on the other end with all 10 fingers and 10 toes & 1 foreign object.

I was soothed every time Joshua cried during the 24 hours he had to abstain from food. My son was hungry. He never felt hunger before. And he was angry.

 Mad & Hungry Josh.

He came home 6 days later to our crowded basement apartment with no sun. But we didn't care we had our son. And my mother's crab cakes.

The next day I threw out all the medicine we were forced to buy. And I let Dat Dood sleep. I let him sleep for every time a nurse woke him for a diaper change or to check his vitals. He slept for every minute he lost being force fed & weighed.

His very long necessary slumber.

When he woke up I gave him a bottle. And he gulped it down like his life just started. It was the most beautiful thing I had every seen. And I called everyone I knew & told them about this magical boy who ate like little new boys do.

I never used his feeding tube but the surgery had to heal before we could have it removed another 3 months later. When the nurses did visit they commended my efforts and his progress and canceled future visits. I left a long I was right & you were all wrong message on the voice mails of a few doctors at Mt. Washington & canceled my follow appt. F*ck do they know??

Then we took Dat Dood to the ocean. And he rode the ferris wheel. Yes my Dood at 3 months old rode the ferris wheel.

High atop the ferris wheel. Ocean City, MD

And so today, one day after his 5th birthday I celebrate my feisty Dood. I celebrate this little man who came out swinging and has been swinging every since. I celebrate this Dood who taught me in a matter of days what persistence and patience means.

Mommy Loves You Dood!  Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday Dood!!

6 Things You SHOULDN'T Have In Common With Your Mate

Our shyt smells like roses & lateness!

When determining if someone is right for you in life beyond (physical appearances) we all seem to ponder the similarities. This makes sense. We want to know if someone is a good match. We want to know if we have things in common. The laundry list of commonalities is then worn like a badge of honor.

 We compare the big obvious issues. We both love to travel. We both love dogs! 

 And the unique. Ohmagod we both love grape jelly on our eggs! 

Good times until you realize while sitting in the dark that you both hate paying bills on time. This is key because...

1. You can BOTH be great with finances. ONE of you can be great at it. But you both can't suck at it. 

Eventually someone has to pay attention. Open mail. Balance an account. Plan for retirement. This is grown people stuff here folks. If you're both poor financial planners you'll have a life of evictions, repossessions, turn off notices/shut offs, and foreclosures. It was written...in that bill you didn't open. 

Which will leave BOTH of you with bad credit!

2. You can BOTH have A1 credit. ONE of you can have great credit. But you both can't have poor credit.

Cash may be king but credit is essential. You may actually need a place to live and no one is handing out keys because you're a nice looking couple. No one! As much as we would love to pay "straight cash" for a car or home we all can't. And this is when the credit fairy swoops down with a great interest rate and saves us! If you're both overextended then you'll both be screwed and paying too much for everything...or waiting for Uncle Sam to give you back money you overpaid to buy an A to B car.

3. You can BOTH be neat freaks. One of you can be Monk. But you both can't be slobs. 

You ever been to someone's home who owned a $500 vacuum cleaner yet had carpets you didn't want to walk with shoes on? No? Just me. Well how about those couple on hoarders who blame their home's condition on the other person. Then they start freaking out because the organizing expert wants to trash their prized collection of mayonnaise jars. I realize not everyone is a clean freak. Some of us place our priorities into other things. But your love can't be higher than those trash piles and wider than the rings around your tubs. To each their own, I guess. But someone will have to get it together or consider your home stink bugged!

4. You can BOTH be on time. One of you can be prompt. But you both can't be tardy for every party.

...Or wedding. Or baptism. Or work! It's just plaid rude. Someone has to have the master plan to get you where you need to be in a timely fashion. Otherwise, you're both destined to a life of missed flights, cancelled appointments, and split seats at the movie theater!

5. You can BOTH be gracious. One of you can be a hard azz. But you both can't be jerks.

Sometimes being a jerk is strategic. It's necessary. Think good cop, bad cop. However, if both of you are arrogant, obnoxious pricks you may be efficient at getting things done but you'll never be invited anywhere to do anything again ever. You two better get used to being together a lot because no one will want to be around you. Being banned at every movie theater & restaurant in the area means a lot of red box nights eating ramen noodles. Because...

6. You can BOTH be great cooks. One of you can be Top Chef. But you both can't burn water. 


This guarantees a lot of nights in eating ramen noodles. One of you has to have at least a weeks worth of healthful delicious meals in your repertoire. No one can survive on cereal or sandwiches or frozen stuff alone. Learn a few recipes. Watch Food Network. Buy a cook book or google something you like to eat and learn to make it. A life of fast food, restaurants, and prepared (processed) meals is not the business.


I'm sure I've missed a few.

What else can we add to the list of things you shouldn't have in common with your mate?

The floor is open.

What Can You Change In 18 Days?

I've been thinking a lot about change in the past 18 days. The recent activities in Egypt have a lot to do with it. I'm in awe of the Egyptians spirit, perseverance, and down right fortitude to get stuff done. The revolution was definitely televised and it was amazing to witness from thousands of miles away. 

Yet while ALL of this was going on half way around my world I was staging my own uprising. Certainly not as serious as what we've just witnessed but serious enough to add years back to my life and that's just as important...to me...and my family. 

I, A Lovely Dai have stopped eating all processed foods.

I should give you a bit of history. I grew up eating all whole homemade foods. We never had frozen dinners, pizzas, or Chef Boyardee. In my home if you wanted burgers and fries my mother made patties and sliced potatoes. I ate this way for years always shopping the outskirts of the grocery stores carefully buying fresh poultry, really good cheeses, and produce. Awww produce...my heart races at the sight of mangoes, grapes, and green leaf lettuce. No joke. I love it like women love shoes. 

Truthfully in my own home with my own family I cook the exact same way my mother does. I live in our grocery store because I buy so much fresh everything that I'm constantly restocking. Such as a fresh life. 

But something happened about 12 years ago. Something that has sent my palate into overdrive. This one incident has been the bain of my existence every since. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was dating my favorite ex boyfriend and he cooked for me. I was thrilled. He knew all of the foods I loved and crafted a menu based on my favor flavors then. Spice, lemon, & butter. 

He served a beautiful plate of wild rice, spicy buttery baked tilapia, and lemony asparagus. My taste buds were in heaven. Then without warning he pulled the finishing touch for his meal out of the broiler. 

A. Porter. House. Steak!!!

It really didn't bother me at first. And then he cut into it. His eyes rolled somewhere in the back of his head and it looked like the most blissful place to visit. I wanted to go to there. "You wanna bite?', he asked beef dangling on the fork. "No, I don't eat beef." And this is how it went down to the last hunk of beefy goodness. "You wanna bite?" 

It's just a bite, I thought. One measly little insignificant bite. Eat the bite  & go on about your life. No harm right?

Ignorance is bliss

WRONG! Because if you give a Dai a bite of porterhouse she's going to want something to go with it. She's going to want Merlot & Pepsi. She's going to start buying steaks and broiling them at home. She's going to need sweet potatoes topped with cinnamon butter like they do at the steak houses because YES she's been to a real deal steak house now. And then she's going to need creamy everything. Ceaser dressing on those perfect as they were romaine leaves. Creamed spinach. Potatoes au gratin. She'll need dessert. No not fruit. She'll need cheesecake and triple chocolate cake with raspberry glaze. She'll know that those raspberries were conjured somewhere in a lab but DAMN they taste good. Then she'll want to wash this all down. So she'll need iced tea. Oh & guess who makes a large cheap one? Yes! She'll hit the golden arches for tea but she'll need something to go with her tea right. Fries. Yes yummy hot salty fatty fries. She's seen Super Size Me but she won't care because her sweet tea tounge will need those fries. And those fries are so salty just like that time she bit that salty meaty steak years ago so she'll need something equally salty & meaty to accompany those fries & that sweet drink. She'll need a burger. She knows that it's probably not even all beef but it's cheap & now she's too lazy to make a burger from  lean ground sirloin so she'll hand her bank card to the drive thru chick, take her sweet, salty, and fatty & devour it probably before she makes it home. Then she'll need something sweet to chase the sweet, salty, fatty. And you can find individually wrapped fake pastries anywhere right? Yes, and since she's already in the store she might as well get something salty. She'll surely want that store bought mac n cheese later and a yummy steak to go with it. And if you give a Dai a steak...

This was my vicious cycle. Salt begat sweet, sweet begat salt. Wash, rinse, repeat. My body couldn't take it anymore. I already bid a fond farewell to Shia Le Prime Rib over the holidays and hence it was time to chuck the deuces to all of my other triggers. Chips, cheese crackers, oatmeal creme pies, almond snickers, everything the work hubby bribed me with, and drinks. Most notably my beloved diet green tea. What's so bad about diet green tea? Well, besides it being made with fake sugar and 11 other ingredients I can barely pronounce the mere drizzle of it on my tongue causes a weird hungry chain reaction. Even after I just ate!! The chemically made drink goes in my stomach and my stomach says, "Hey, this isn't real sugar! Pretty sneaky!" And then my brain says, "Simmer down tummy, we'll get you some sugar!" 

So water it is. I have not had any beverage except for almond milk, hot tea sans sugar, or water in over three weeks. Right away I've noticed that this has curbed ALL of my salty vs sweet cravings. I've been eating to live on whole foods, whole fruits, whole grains (real ones not that stuff they sprinkle in cereal to make you feel better about yourself), lean poultry, nuts, beans, really good chocolate, good cheeses, fresh seasonal produce. I even passed the steakhouse test. I had my water with grilled chicken, brocolli & carrots, and a baked sweet potato.When I said no to the waittress who asked if I wanted marshmallow (don't eat that stuff anyway) & cinnamon butter on top she actually did a double take. No joke. Apparently no one knows how naturally sweet a sweet potato already is which is weird given its name. 

*clears throat* In conclusion, I can hardly call this a new beginning. It's really a welcome back home to the foods I grew up eating. The best thing is that it requires nothing of me. My only rules: 

EAT REAL FOOD: Simple and yet in a landscape where things that end in "O" (doritos, cheetos, frittos, etc) are viewed as food you can see just how important this is. This includes low fat items like yogurt, sour cream, ricotta. The effort it takes to reduce the fat in these items actually turns it into something else entirely. This rule applies to sodas, sugary drinks, and ANYTHING that says "Now Made With Real _____". It's not right and it's not real. 

SNACK WELL BUT DON'T EAT SNACKWELLS (or anything like them): Remember them? Never tried them but I remember seeing a lot of co-workers rip into these little fake cookies a few years back. They were supposed to be low fat blah blah blah. But there is no low fat substitute for crackers, chips, etc. So if I want any of these things I MUST make them myself with real whole ingredients. Yes, if I want cheese crackers I must combine flour & whatever the hell else it takes to make a cheese nip. Since I have no idea what that it guess what? I don't eat cheese crackers. Same with french fries, fried chicken, oatmeal cream pies, etc. Another reason why I've learned to bake. 

Lastly

I MUST CONSCIOUSLY EAT: None of that in front of the TV mess. None of that I'll just have a bite of this because it's right there when I'm not even hungry. None of that bread basket. None of that I'll just have a slice because someone just happened to order pizza. None of that candy bar buying when I run in to by paper towels. None. Of. That.

So this is where I am. In about 18 days I've rediscovered the best in what nature has to offer. I feel good about this next part of my journey. This may be the only time I write about this so don't be alarmed, Alovelydai won't turn into one of those blogs. LOL! What about you? 

What can you change in 18 days? How can you curb the course of your life in under a month? Is it a new career, ending a toxic relationship, or learning a new skill? 

What say you lovelies? The floor is open. 

Oh & if anyone has a recipe for cheese crackers holler at me. Just kidding. No really...

Do You Know What Today Is?

I refused to open my Anniversary gift this morning. Too sad or something. I really wanted to. I wanted to open my gift, jump with glee, be amazed at another great decision by the hubby but I couldn't. I only had 11 minutes to eat breakfast & get off to work.

Work. Ughhhh. In I-don't-know-how-many years we are spending this here anniversary at work. Too far away even for a quick lunch.

In other news Valentines Day lasted 3 days. Friday night we took the kids out to dinner. Waited 60 minutes for it too. Saturday Dood & I crafted all 22 of his Valentines for his class. After writing J-O-S-H for 3 of his best buddies he was done. So I used his hand to write his name on the rest. Then we carefully dropped chocolates in little heart drawn goodie bags for everyone. This took 30 minutes longer than it should have but he's a Dood. *shrug*

Yesterday the hubby gave me my Valentine treats & then we gave the kids theirs. Chocolate wasted all around!

Chocolate dipped strawberry bouquet. And yes, I saved the Kale.

But that was Valentines. This is our anniversary. In a world where people don't often make it THIS far we still like each other (far more important than love. You can love someone & NOT like them, i.e. family).

Yup, this is also our anniversary & I'm here & he's there & it sucks giant monkey balls. 

So Berry (the teddy that came with my bouquet) & I are at work and we no likey. We no likey at all. But we are excited to go home & wait more precious hours for the hubby to come home. Then we'll open our anniversary gift & we won't have to go anywhere. Then we'll be happy. Until tomorrow morning.

This is Berry. Him no likey.

B.O.B, Janelle Monae & Bruno Mars Rock The 53rd Annual Grammys

I came. I tried. I watched....Family Guy. But for about 7 minutes the talents known as B.O.B, Janelle Monae, & Bruno Mars (and his hair) rocked the 53rd Grammy house! I literally went from folding clothes to giving them a sitting ovation along with the audience 3000 miles away. They were phenomenal!!  


Check it out!





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Uploaded by yardie4lifever2.

 
Did you watch or flip channels like I did? 
Who were your favs? 
Who completely needs to quit singing live *cough, Usher*? 
Who totally jacked the melody from "Express Yourself" sounding like a 21st century Madonna*cough Lady Gaga*?


The floor is open.

How To Get Up There

Dood: How do we get up there? 
Me: Up where?
Dood: In the sky?  
Me: You have to fly.
Dood: Like Buzz Lightyear?
Me: Yup.
Dood: And birds.
Me: You got it. 
Dood: And go to flying fairy school like on Sesame Street?
Me: Well yes if that helps.


My son breaks me down in every way. Saying that these last couple of weeks have been a bit challenging is a vast understatement. The problem with raising a self sufficient, self reliant, tough boy is that...well...he's a  knucklehead. Dood is probably the sweetest jerk you'll ever meet. He's awesome. He'll offer you water when you cough and then refuse to kiss you good bye. He's a Pisces. Forever up fish one moment, down fish the next. I've spent the last few years getting on his schedule, adjusting to his life--just trying to fit in.

Last weekend we were best friends. He told me so. We played cars and games. We laughed and ate. Sunday night the entire family played Kinnect. It was magical. We looked like a commercial. I picked him up from preschool the next day & met his teacher with wary eyes.

"I don't know what happened. He had an a good morning and then after nap he was really grumpy and pushed a friend."

It should be noted that Miss Teacher has been with Dood in some way since he started this school at 18 months old. It should be noted that she loves him dearly and even offered to care for him outside of class.  It should also be noted that Dood doesn't know what happened. Don't believe me?

Me: Dood what happened today?
Dood: I dunno.

And so it goes. We take away game time (the only time that matters). We discuss using nice hands and being respectful. We tell big sister who does her best mommy impression trying to mediate matters. And then we tell Daddy and that's when everything gets really sad & blurry.

Tuesday was a good day. Smiley faces and gold stars.

Wednesday Daddy picked him up from school and I got the call before I left my office. Dood was a jerk, hit friends, threw his lunch on the floor (this is a first), refused to nap (also a first), kept everyone else awake & had to be removed from class. It was so bad that the school Director met my hubby at the door. Miss Teacher was so upset herself that she couldn't explain what went wrong. This was by far his worst behavioral issue ever. By the time I got home, Dood was in his bed sleep and the hubby was angrily letting the TV watch him.

Dealing with an incredibly high strung kid is really exhausting. We count time in memories. Remember that year we couldn't take him out to eat? Somehow we learned to plan. We bring snacks to dinner. We ask the wait person to bring his food first. We give him more whole foods that will sustain him and his enormous energy.

We evolved. We deal with his poor transitions with a flexible itinerary. It's a dance we've perfected so well that he knows all of the steps. I wake up, I eat my breakfast, I get my clothes on, I brush my teeth, I go to school & make good choices, I come home, eat my dinner...

Sometimes I don't realize how bizarre all of his idiosyncrasies are. He reminds me so much of my youngest brother who refused to talk in school but could remember every chord to every song he's ever heard. It's a quiet brilliance that can't be contained in circle time and story books.

This has been the year of giving up. I've retired my romantic ideas of  frolicking with him at the zoo feeding the giraffes. Who cares about giraffes when there's M&Ms in vending machines?

Who cares about fireworks if you refuse to watch them?

My son breaks me down in every way. My daughter who -- thank the Universe -- came first makes every ounce of sense to me. Her rhythm, her mood, her design, and all of her manuals were downloaded into me without one hiccup. Dood is a species who could either be prehistoric in nature or so new age that he hasn't been discovered yet. I can't really say "he's been here before" as the old folks do & so I have no idea where he's going.

The hours I've spent trying to make Dood make sense I now devote to just letting him be. I've become more safeguard than instructor. I'm less this is how the world works kid than I am eat this, put your gloves on, don't jump on the sofa. 

Truth is I often laugh when I should parent. Truth is there's not much I can teach him that he hasn't already taught me. Truth is I'm still learning how to get up there.

Black Eyes Peas Make For A Great Half Time Show...On Twitter

Awww the Black Eyes Peas. You really do either love them or hate them. I mean...there is NOOOO in between. Their songs are pop friendly, cacthy, and it's kinda hard to resist the occasional finger snap or head bounce but I'm not really a fan. That said during last night's Super Bowl half time I did what most people in their right minds do when they're trying to pass the time...I took to twitter. However, before I could get off a 140 character diss to the Peas everybody & I do mean everybody beat me to it.

Check it out!

The Black Eyed Peas work really hard at being generic. Its as if they're paid to make everyone go "eh..."less than a minute ago via Twitter for iPhoneElon James White
elonjames

BOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!...I didn't see Fergies titties...where the fuck is Justin Timberlake at??, now he knows how to put on a show!!!less than a minute ago via webJR-HisRoyalFreshness
FisforFresh

Does Will I Am have on a plastic wave cap lmao????? I got 2 get one of those because my hair looks like a old bag of reefa seedsless than a minute ago via TwittelatorKevin Hart
KevinHart4real

I wish I could be 1 of the other 2 dudes in black eye peas. They don't have to do shit but clap. #easymoneyless than a minute ago via Echofonlil duval
lilduval

If mubarak was smart he'd have gotten the Black Eyed Peas to empty out Tahrir Square two weeks agoless than a minute ago via ÜberTwitterAdamSerwer
AdamSerwer

Well, after seeing The Black Eyed Peas, the Steelers can feel a lot better about their performance before the 2nd Half #superbowlless than a minute ago via webKeith Olbermann
KeithOlbermann

Did these muthafuckas get a bunch of empty Buzz Lightyear boxes and make these costumes?less than a minute ago via webEmme Dee Double-You
beauty_jackson

Fergie sounds like Kim Zolciak.less than a minute ago via Twitter for iPhoneSilly E. Badu
iHateYouJody

The best part about the Super Bowl half time show was the margarita I drank to get through it.less than a minute ago via TweetDeckMichael Arceneaux
youngsinick

I'm afraid if the Superbowl is being broadcast into space, aliens will interpret this Black Eyed Peas performance as an act of war.less than a minute ago via Twitter for AndroidEugene Mirman
EugeneMirman

I could go on. But I'll stop here and ask what you think? I honestly couldn't give you a real critique because (and wisely so) I didn't really watch them. Except the Usher part. I did see him. Even turned up the volume for a minute.

The floor is open.

Rihanna S&M Video

Here's a little Music Monday on Tuesday. Sue me...

I think it's a great little flirty video. Rihanna looks great...kinda easy for her though.

What do you think?