And the Sims 2 Loose...By a Knock-out

Hah,
I knew that if I reached out about my problem, ok addiction to the game, I would get some much needed help. No really, after a few days of that, I had enough. My addiction totally lies with my M box and my new found interest in myspace.com. Wow, how cool to network with so many people. It is also however very addicting, I must pay attention here. I am coming along with my little ditties. It seems I am not a very technical kind of girl. So, working with this thing is becoming a major challenge. Trying to get down this bounce to disk thing. I keep getting it wrong. Well, I'll just have to keep working on it and something will turn out. Going to see some live soul music this week. It promises to be a very vibing week. Cool. That's all for now unless.......Well yeah that's all for now...............

Paris is Burning!!!!

Hello, folks what's the news? Well the news is that Paris is burning, or at least the media will have you believe that. It's amazing how the with the right images you can really make things look really bad. My friends and family have been calling me and asking me if I am alright and if I am safe. Well I'll tell you although it is true that there are cars, buses, houses, and streets burning, I haven't been directly affected. It seems to be the age old story, new government politicians decide to make a mark and show their power. So to begin they start to clean up the "bad" neiborhoods, putting more cops on the street in the "ghettos". Which of course makes it hard for any drug dealer to make his dough. Of course, they get real angry about it , but they continue to work. But, as the weeks pass more and more cops are stopping people in the metro searching bags, and checking identification and stuff.... Then one day two teens (running from the police, so they thought) jump a fence, which has a huge sign on it that says Electricity Danger, and die of electrocution. So, the people say,"Enough is Enough". Now I am no expert and I can only give my interpretation of what's happening. I think that there are too many problems here. People are trying to survive, but at the sametime they make life hard for others. Here, in France the government takes care of a lot of people with monthly checks and so forth. Even those who come from other countries. But the problem is some of them take that money and buy dope, cut it, and then sell it. All the while creating the Ghetto that they have come to hate so much. It's like any large American city. People are afraid to walk after dark. Here I am being thrilled with the idea of walking to the store at night without worrying about any major altercations, and some young punks go and spoil it. Well, I guess I was seeing the signs. You know gangster rap is huge here just like in the U.S. Although this is NOT the cause, it's a sign that I noticed. The kids look and dress like the kids from my old neiborhoods. Not only that they want to really "live" the image of drug dealing, badass. On top of that they are truly suffering from racism and can't get jobs easily, so why not sell drugs.... Well the problem is that there are some real criminals and then those who just don't see another way. Whose got the answers? I am just wondering. I come from the ghettos of Detroit. I lived in a nice little house with my sisters and brother. And I did join a gang for all of 3 days. And even with all that I didn't become so angry that I hated the Man. I never felt like I couldn't get out. I was always interested in what was happening somewhere else. I guess that's why I wanted to travel. I kept thinking it's better some where else. But it's funny "the world is a ghetto", really everywhere. We all suffer. We all got issues. We all have seen teenage pregnancy, drug dealing, Breaking and entering, etc happen in our cities. Well, maybe not all of us, but a lot of us.

So, now the hoodlums have decided to wage war against the police. Keeping them busy by burning everything in sight. I personally think that that is a dumb thing to do. I mean you might be burning your homeboy's grandmother's car that she needs to get her meds. Or burning down the gym where kids in the hood play basketball. Where they gonna go now? I mean why burn the place where you live? Where is the pride? Now these fires have spread as far north as Germany, and even in the south of France. Now the city of Paris is under the watchful eyes of about 1,00 more police. All with big guns and black military looking busses and the likes. I hope things will calm down. It is very French to revolt, I mean this is the lad of revolution. So this spirit is in the people. If they don't like something they fight!!!!! I am sad to hear though that a few people, who have nothing to do with this have died. I mean a man walking down the street, minding his own business was attacked and beat to death. He was 60 and not a cop and just walking. Okay now that I have ranted on, I feel a little better. Things will get back to normal, so I hope. In the meantime, it's a heyday for poets and slammers and songwriters......Maybe in about two months the artists will all have their opinions documented for the history of Paris....or at least for the people of Paris.... Talk to you soon. When I can think straight....LOL

Attack of Sims 2...Let the Shame begin....

Hello fellow Friends,
I am here to talk about a weird thing happening to me now. I have become totally addicted to Sims 2 Nightlife in the course of two days of play. The problem comes from sitting at my computer and learning how to record on my M box. I look up and there's an extension pack to the regular Sims 2 that I play from time to time. Well just when I thought that my head would explode with all these technical things like how to successfully "bounce" a song, I decided ok a little break from this. So I installed the extension pack (like 3 times because I am so not computer saavy), and finally it works. When I looked up two and a half hours had just passed. I was like oh man..... I gotta stop this.


So, I start working on my little project again, when I get bored again. Back to the game. This time I spent like 3 and a half hours on it. I can't believe it. I am like a kid in this game. Creating my dream house. Singing Karioke, dancing with vampires, making an empire of buildings. Disocvering that I got quite an eye for some decorations and absolutely no taste when it comes to their clothes and stuff. How funny. Anyway, I don't know how these gamers do it. Play for weeks. My shoulders and finger tendons hurt like a mug. They're all cramped up. It's cold now in the house so my toes are frozen seems like. Lol....


And then today, what did I do? Well I played again of course. I learned how to put my own music in the game so now all the sims are dancing to my songs. That's so great for the ego...lol. Anyway, I am feeling terribly guilty for playing this game. I thought if I confessed and got a few comments, it would help me to quit. One step at a time. Maybe I should play Quake III, that'll make me forget. A little violence, what are we coming to? I am ashamed because I wonder if someone over 25 should play video games? Isn't there a law against that? Well I will keep breaking this law. I feel like I am 10 years old and I love it!!!!! Hooray, for the EA Games guys, my heroes. Well I better get back to my M box, technical things take time to learn. Maybe now I can purge myself from the game.....Momentarily that is. What's your vice?

Zap Mama.... in Paris

So I am back in Paris and I am quite tired and lethargic. I don't know why, but I am feeling soooo lazy. I get that in spells sometimes. When I am like that, I schedule myself lots of appointments and I go places. Because in my experience, when I do nothing ....I really do nothing. So as a part of getting out I went to a club called Tryptique in Paris. It was cool. I was hanging out with a couple of friends. We were there of course, because Zap Mama had a concert in Paris and then had there after party at the Tryptique. It was cool. I had forgotten how stylish everyone can be in Paris. I left for two moths, and when I came back I realized. Oh yeah the old t-shirt and any old jeans outfit doesn't quite work as well as in Texas. It's amazing really.

So as we are waiting patiently for the Zap Mama crew to get in we people watch. And boy I really either gotta figure out how to become stylish overnight or make my non stylish way my style. Well, I was never so into it before Paris. Suddenly I am obsessed. God, everytime I have to go to some function in Paris I start sweating. Oh shucks, what am I gonna wear? I stress out like you wouldn't believe. My head starts hurting, my heart starts beating faster and well I start thinking "well I don't really want to go..." Now I am telling you this is a terrible terrible feeling. Anyway, as we are talking about the passersby and their neat sense of fashion, there comes a crowd of about 10 people all dressed very different from the rest of us. Ahhhhh, my beloved Zap Mama. Not the original members, except for Marie, but indeed the energy was great. #

They walked passed us and then into the main room. Where they mounted the stage and proceeded to sing. I was like OMG they really are gonna perform again. I was thrilled. They jammed out for about 20 minutes. And I just want to say THANX ladies. I missed the real concert and this jam session totally made up for it. And I can tell you these women can sang!!!

So when it was done. I waited next to the stage to try to pass a card to Marie for a friend of mine. I met one of the other singers, who then invited me backstage. I was like "what?" backstage are you kidding. So I went backstage and talked to their manager about my friend the designer. Her name is Bisrat Negassi . Her stuff is really great so I didn't have a hard time selling her. So I got the contact for my´girlfriend and ended my night. Hitched a ride home with another friend because the metro stops running about 12:45. I am soooo poor that I can't even afford to pay attention. lol No taxi for me. It was a good night. And I am happy for that. I seem to have had some sadness in my heart. It's good to move around and visit friends when you are feeling likethatt. So this night was good for that.

Well, that's all for today. Hollar at a later date Peace........Song