Monday, May 28, 2007

Freek-a-leek

I used to date this guy that had a foot fetish.

Now, I know all brothers say they don't want a woman whose feet looks as if they have been kicking rocks. I also know that in classic Boomerang fashion, that the fascination with feet escalated to an all time high.

But this brother was on some different kind of sh**.

This guy had a foot fetish that beats all foot fetishes. I used to work with him (broke working rule 101), and he actually said that he intially saw me from behind. Now, normally, if brothers see you from behind, they tend to look at, well, YOUR BEHIND.

I should have known something was rotten in the state of Denmark when this mofo when he said the first thing that he looked at was the heels of my feet.

The first time that we went out (it was to a coffeehouse). My legs were crossed in the direction that was not facing him. He actually made a special request for me to uncross my legs, and cross them in the other direction, so that he could SEE my feet at a better angle. I didn't think anything of it then, I just thought he wanted to check out the french tip. Later on in the relationship he told me when he was a little boy, that his mom's friends would come over, and they just thought he was the most obedient, friendly child. He said he was just happy because they would come over with sandals on.

Run, Forrest, Run, right? Okay, the dude was fine and at that time I was pretty interested in giving his goatee a protein shake.

ANYWAY. . .Needless to say, after we became involved, and we would participate in, 'extracurricular horizontal activities', the first thing on deck for him to do would be for him to give me an intensive, lengthy foot massage. Now, ladies, I know this is Heaven on Earth, and I agree wholeheartedly. However, it became increasing disturbing that he was getting an equal amount of pleasure (which is okay) in doing this, but he seemed to delight in it maybe even more so than I was!! Even to the point that he would appear irritable if I wasn't particularly ready, or interested in him rubbing my feet AT THAT POINT.

He was (I believe) harmless, and, after all he could throw that "D". Did I mention that he was phoine?!?! However, things started getting out of hand when he would email me and ask me what kind of shoes I had on.

Y'all stop laughing.

This wasn't necessarily the downfall of our relationship (not at all), we just went in separate directions. Not to mention that his increasing requests and unquenching desire for all things feet was starting to supercede his other attributes and quickly became, well. . . ANNOYING.

He eventually married a few years later, and much to his (and her) chagrin, he's been caught looking at women's feet, and, sometimes, confronted with printouts of women's feet (which, in his opinion, the more ORNATE with jewelry, the better) that he has found on the internet.

The boy needs help. But I don't believe he wants it. I think he revels in his sickness. Also in classic boomerang style, he has out and out said that he wouldn't date a woman, no matter HOW FINE she is, if her feet were unattractive.

Now, I won't go as far as saying (in public - hahaha) that I have any fetishes. Now, some folks I would consider having some serious fetishes are people like Marv Albert , who likes to take a bite out of crime when it comes to women, as well as trot around in their panties, and Rachael Ray's husband is just NASTY. What I DO enjoy looking at though, is a man's hands. They don't have to be perfect; because if they are I'm prolly going to get freaked out and think he has a case of bitchitis. But what I don't want, is someone that bites their nails down to the quick. Eew. But on the inverse, I do NOT want someone whose nails on their hands are longer than mines. That's a little too OG pimp Bishop Don Magic Juan for my taste. I also believe that no matter whether or not a brother is blue collar or white collar, your hands don't have to feel like you're a field slave, so I definitely enjoy them to be relatively smooth. Not so smooth whether I question if the brother has ever even changed a TIRE, but also hands not rough enough to cut diamonds, either.

Had to be said, enough said.

Do you know anyone that has any peculiar fetishes? Do YOU have some? Anonymous Posts ROCK!!

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Big Brother

At the beginning of my eighth grade year, we read the short story (tween) version of George Orwell's 1984. This book is no "Are you there God? It's Me, Margaret."

1984 scared the shit out of me. (NOT.TO.MENTION it was 1983 when we read it!)

The book, written decades before, talked about a new world, where your thoughts were limited to what the gub-ment only wanted you to think, and, in fact, the "Thought Police", as they were called, were there to monitor your thoughts, and know your intentions, and even more so, your greatest fears. You were watched by an all invasive "Big Brother", one who was never named, but was technically, representative of all acts that were invasive upon your (unexistent at that point), basic human rights.

What about now? Even if you never read 1984 - Most of you have seen the "Minority Report", which does on or around the same thing. I do want to say, though, I love technology. HELLO, I'm using it right now. I hardly carry cash, I love bill pay/online payments, and if you saw my cell phone you would know that it's has anything and everything on it. Now that that is out of the way, I also want to tell you that I also am a CON-Spiracy theorist and sometimes I get to philosophicizin and, so read at your own risk!. :)

We are living in a culture and where there are consistent breakthroughs in the areas of technology, the sciences, health, and education. Equally as such, these very same breakthroughs are what are enabling our technology to put a microchip in your animal to locate it, (and DON'T THINK children are not going to be next), or being instructed to take cervical cancer shots as a mandatory procedure. We are living in an era where your Ralphs Club card, Visa Debitcard, and all other things electronic track your every pleasure, whim, and even fetish. There is a new machine out that is supposedly able to track what your INTENTIONS are (Minority Report, anyone?). And as for viewing/reviewing your purchase taste, you can't even GO into a department store without them asking for your name/phone number and "Would you like to be on our mailing list?" spiel. Going on Amazon will give you a "Hi Patricia, here's what we recommend for you. . ."based on your previous visits to the site. NOT TO MENTION the Gub-Ment wanting to access your library records of what you have read, under the auspices of operating under the "USA Patriot Act".

And then there is Gmail. Email on steroids. Email squared. Mail that, puts advertisements in your inbox that are comparable to what you have searched for in Google if you remain signed in after you leave Gmail. Even our love/hate BFF Blogger, required you to retain a Gmail address in order to even UPGRADE to the "New and Improved" blogger.

Let's not forget our beloved You Tube. In an increasingly video-hungry society, our thirst has become unquenchable. Whether it's side splitting humor, or the death of dictators, our video on demand taste has reached infinite status and we have, indeed, reached the point of no return.

So, the next time you're enjoying your GPS Navigational System, or whizzing through the pump via Speedpass, or even trolling through the internet. . .Take another look and tell me, Whose Zooming Who?

But hey, what do I know. I thought that Tony Blair was the Antichrist.

What do YOU Think? Big Brother is Watching, or P's Crazy as Hell?

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Irrational Fears/Phobias - Part Deux

One of my favorite posts on her blog was the post on Irrational Phobias. I thought when I was reading it that it was more funny than anything. I want to say I was sympathetic to what people were saying, but the manner in which they were commenting and the far out things that were being said (present company included) just kept me ROLLING for the entire post.

She was referring to things (irrational maybe to US - totally legitimate and valid to those who deal with it) that people just don't like. That which gives you the heebie-jeebies, or, something that, you just can't put your finger on, just gives you the creeps. If you look in her comments section, you would be surprised at some of the stuff that really just gets under people's skin.

Taken from the irrational phobia dictionary. Supa has some personal ones that she picked out on her post regarding this as well; and here are some of the ones that I found interesting:

Botanophobia: Fear of plants.
Chaetophobia: Fear of hair.
Enetophobia: Fear of pins.
Euphobia: Fear of hearing good news. (what the hell is THAT about)
Textophobia: Fear of certain fabrics. (I think this might be me)
Graphophobia: Fear of writing or handwriting.

Okay, you get the point.

My friend was watching the Maury Povich show, and she said there were people on there that were deathly afraid of different things, up to an including: Mustard, balloons, and clowns. She told me that these people would take off running (stop laughing!) when presented with these things that they feared.

Now, I won't go as far as saying that I'm fearful of particular things, but I must admit that I Do have some irrational phobias that have made many of my friends and family chuckle. Supa in particular (and I'm not telling her business, it's on her post), actually talks about her fear of pine cones.

I have another girlfriend who doesn't cook with anything but wooden utensils, because she doesn't like the sound of metal against any of her cooking products. It's not anything that's a scraping sounds, she doesn't like the way it sounds AT ALL. I have another friend who doesn't like how honeycombs look and, in fact, instructed one of the salespeople at our job that she would NOT help him unless he took off that tie, because it was distracting her. Him, knowing how she was, took it all in stride and promptly removed the tie.

My niece doesn't like to see anything that is bundled or bunched together (like a pack of birds, or a bunch of say, teddy bears in one spot). She gets creeped out.

On to me. . .there is only one thing that bothers me. Unusual patterns. My hairs on my arms and the back of my neck are standing up even as I type this.

If you are wondering what kinds of patterns, it's not all of them, but if it is going in a certain direction, or too many directions, or just has a weird look to it, for some reason it just triggers something in my nervous system and it gives me the CREEPS! One such pattern is crop circles. I have heard that the Mel Gibson movie "Signs" is an EXCELLENT movie . . .however, you won't catch me dead watching it because of the crop circles. Now, I can sit and watch an autopsy, faces of death, and any other bloody mess, but show me a crop circle or a wall with too many cracks in it, or some fabric that has way too much going on it in, and I'm NOT going to be happy.

I don't even like typing the word crop circles.
Stop laughing.

Anyway, I know there are innumerable people in the world with their own idiosynchracies. Some people don't like heights, some people can't sleep or eat without certain items, so let us know what they are. . .

Do you or someone you know have an irrational phobia?

Saturday, May 05, 2007

Diva, Interrupted


With the grace of a ballerina, and the voice strength that matches the physical strength of a Sumo wrestler, Shannon Pearson is THE one to watch. This diva in question has a melodic voice that captures and enraptures everyone in it's vicinity. Moreover, Shannon Pearson delivers the goods in an equally soulful and classy momentum, that has her destined for superstardom.

In frequent demand with many mainstream artists for both studio and live performances, she brings sass, class, and jazz into every note. I recently sat down (read: emailed) and talked with Shannon Pearson, AKA the Sangin Diva for some 1 on 1 "in the know" regarding her professional endeavors.

P: When did you first realize that you were interested in a singing career?

Shannon: I actually think my career chose me! Singing has always been an intricate part of my life. At six years old I had a dream of me on stage singing to what looked like MILLIONS of people. I always had a "pull" towards being a singer/actress/entertainer; however, but society tells you it is an unrealistic dream... I'm glad I didn't listen to that crap!

P: What do you consider was your first ‘big break?’

Shannon: I treat EVERY opportunity to sing, work with another artist, or perfect my craft a "big break". I can't just point to one incident because they ALL are steps that carry me to the next stage of my journey. I try to learn and take something from every experience. There is always an opportunity to have a "BIGGER BREAK" so I won't limit God to just the breaks I've have had so far.

P: You have discussed with me before the difference between working with new booty entertainers versus entertainers who have carved out a solid niche in the business. Can you expound on that, and the benefits to working with the groups that you do?

Shannon: Most times when you work with a newer artist, the record companies believe you should feel privileged to sing with this "big named star that is hot right now" - BUT they don't pay you any money. So you'll be singing with this "big star" but living at home with your mommy and daddy because you can't afford anything but lunch with your friends (meanwhile, bragging about WHO you sing with). Furthermore, a new artist can't TEACH you much - they are still learning themselves. Older artists have been in the business a long time and can teach you lessons that have kept them around 25-30 years. There are MANY things I can say about this question/subject and could go on and on for DAYS, but I will just leave it at that!

P: Many people are unaware that you are a college graduate; please tell us about your collegiate experience and what career profession you were in prior to becoming a singer.


Shannon: Although a good education is EXTREMELY important, I'm not going to pretend like I loved school! However, I am good at ANYTHING I put my mind to so grades were not a problem. (I received scholarships for both music and academics). I became a teacher because "society" says you need something to "fall back on" if you choose any route that is not traditional. And, of course, what do most people do when they get out of school? TEACH! For myself, I think I loved the social aspect of college more than anything. . .like this one time at the Alpha house. . . (HAHAHA!!)

P: You now have a my space page. How is the traffic going on that?


Shannon: Yeah. . . myspace. I will be honest and say I RARELY use my myspace page. I haven't uploaded much music on it. I keep saying one day I'm going to work on it. . . but I'm lying. If anybody wants to help me out with that I would SO appreciate it. Hit me up!

P: We all know about the glamorous aspect of your entertainment career: Tell us about some of the challenges of having a life in that industry.

Shannon: I travel. . . A LOT! Which means that relationships suffer? It's hard to make plans because if a show pops up. . .well you know how that is; if I don’t work, I don’t eat!! Traveling constantly on the road is hard on your body as well. You eat a lot of junk on the road because fast foods are really the most available options. The plane rides are VERY long and hard on your back and joints (pressurization) A first class seat is just not always available- sometimes first is full. And coach seats SUCK!! In truth, I could go on, and on (and on) about the challenges but LIVING a REALITY that was once only a dream, will ALWAYS trump any small stuff. God is good and I am grateful.

P: What advice do you give someone who is interested in having a career such as yours?

Shannon: I'd say surround yourself with people who are doing what you want to do. Learn as MUCH as you can and PRACTICE. I practice EVERYDAY.

P: How can you tell the difference between someone who is enchanted with the industry versus someone who is willing to pay their dues, often longer than they may expect?


Shannon: A person who is enthralled by the glitz and glamour of it all will quickly lose interest. There is sooo much more than the performance you see on stage. It really is hard work and if you don't TRULY love it and it isn't your TRUE passion... you will tire and fade very quickly. Most people think artists are over night successes... but if you ask ANY of them they will tell you it was a long road of no's before they finally got the chance – that “YES”, they needed for the world to hear them.

P: Who are some of your favorite artists?

Shannon: Wow, I have too many to name but here are a few: Nancy Wilson, John Coltrane, Lalah Hathaway, Luther Vandross, classic Whitney Houston, Ella Fitzgerald, Eric Benet, Chante' Moore', George Duke, Jeffrey Osborne, Aretha Franklin Oscar Peterson and Joe Sample. I feel bad because this isn't even a FRACTION of my list!)

P: Are you a songwriter?

Shannon: Yes I am! Songwriting is very important. No one can tell about you and your experience like you can. And if you went through a certain experience - someone else has too. The human experience (told through music) is universal. Here is a song I wrote and posted on my blog: Blogger Fam - Lend Me Your Ears!


P: What's next for Shannon Pearson?

Shannon: I honestly can't say what is next-I'm looking forward to all of the exciting and wonderful adventures that will come my way. I already know my destiny, so the journey is my gift. I am so happy and thankful to God for this experience. I love my life!

P: Anything else you'd like to add?

Shannon: I just want to tell everyone to go after your passion. Don't worry about the money- if it is what you LOVE to do, the money will follow. People will see the passion in your work and support you. Your talents won't lead you any where you are not supposed to be. Don't be afraid-if you believe it -it can happen.

There are those that can sing, and those that can SANG. . .we are bearing witness to one who can SANG - Shannon Pearson. This, is S.O.S. The Sounds of Shannon Pearson~ aka The Sangin' Diva, located at http://sangindiva.blogspot.com.

For further information on Shannon Pearson, you may check here out at http://www.myspace.com/sangindivaslounge - or take the scenic route through my page.

So, sit back.relax.marvel.enjoy. - Fall in love with the sangindiva's voice - as we do over and over again, those who call her friend.