2. Vegan sushi rolls: Seaweed is okay. I'm not falling on the floor over it, but I've learned to tolerate it. But I'm more amped that I can make these sushi rolls now because I would pay $8 at Loving Hut or approximately that same amount at Chi Tung since I didn't know how to create them. Now I do. I just have to get a roller so I don't have to do it by hand.

3. Vegan chocolate mousse: I'm used to eating avocado with salt and vinegar chips and in guacamole. I had no idea that they could be used to make chocolate mousse. I love the vegan chocolate pie at Loving Hut, but when I saw this recipe on Pinterest, I had to try it out. I tweaked the ingredients for what I had at home, but I loved it.

4. Tofu scramble: Initially I hated silken (soft) tofu, but I was trying to make a vegan pound cake that turned out terrible. I had all of this leftover silken tofu so I figured I'd give tofu scramble another shot. I love eating Amy's version, but it has hashbrowns in it so I wasn't sure if it's the potatoes or the tofu. I also had a recipe for it in "The Tofu Cookbook" that I recommend on Shamontiel's Bookshelf. I tried it again this past weekend, and it turned out to be a success.

5. "Iron Man 3": I saw it this weekend, and as usual, Robert Downey Jr. and Don Cheadle delivered. Click here to see my movie review.

6. Hanging out with an interviewee: I take my career very seriously, and I've always been a defender of keeping the integrity in entertainment journalism. The only part about being a journalist is to interview someone you're a fan of and they turn out to rub you the wrong way. I've had a couple of those moments with popular artists, and although disappointing, I've had far more fun experiences meeting artists. I try to keep the relationships positive even if I'm contracted not to do any entertainment reporting because of my current position. But I still support artists who I have covered in Other Publications. I met up with one of my interviewees last week, and he's still creative and hilarious. I love it when my interviewees want to keep in touch because it means that not only am I doing a good job but that they appreciate the support. On top of that, I've never interviewed someone whose music I didn't have in CD, movie or TV rotation at the time.

7. Men who can play instruments: I was listening to Brad Paisley playing the guitar on "Wheelhouse" and then I got to work and heard Wyclef Jean's freestyle with his "gee-tar." Musicians are sexy as hell. I love to hear someone do an acoustic performance. Walking into a studio with a bunch of beats is cool. I'll dance to it. But I'm in awe of those who stuck out music lessons to learn how to play. I used to be okay with the alto saxophone and piano, but as soon as I passed the classes I needed, I abandoned those instruments pronto! There are some days I wish I'd have hung in there with the saxophone though.

8. "The Voice" Top 10: My top five choices made it to last week and I'm ecstatic about it. Josiah is one good-looking man, and he continues to get better every week. And he did an acoustic performance, which further supports my point in #7. I'm still rolling with Michelle Chamuel, although I'm tired of her squat dance. I think Judith Hill deserves to win the competition. I like country and The Swon Brothers do it for me every time. And I keep forgetting about Amber until she hits a note and makes me remember how much I enjoyed her "Good Girls" audition. She's the underdog who I wouldn't mind winning if Judith doesn't. Actually if any of my favorite five won, that'd be all right with me, but I still like Judith the most.

9. Belly dance workout with my mother: My mother doesn't particularly enjoy exercising, but she's competitive. She used to be on the track team in high school so as soon as you get her going, she wants to exercise until she's exhausted. She does this at the health club, when we go walking and no matter how wild the belly dance routines we did were, she kept going. And she looks absolutely adorable doing the dances. I spent as much time sneaking glances at her as I did doing the workouts. Belly dancing is a bunch of fun to do, and it can be hard work! This was the highlight of Mother's Day for me. (She'd probably say it was the gift, the movie or the homemade food though -- even though she still loves meat more than vegan food.)

10. The series finale of "The Office": While everyone else was delighted to see Michael Scott, I was cracking up at Meredith's son as the stripper. When she started dancing with him and coaching him along, that was yet another reason I'm going to miss this show. I'm so happy a co-worker from a previous job told me about it. Otherwise I would've missed out on some great Thursday night laughs.

11. The season finale of "Scandal": I had to do some serious backtracking in order to understand this show. Thank goodness for Netflix. Kerry Washington and the rest of the cast kept saying watch the last few minutes, and I was convinced I knew exactly what was going to happen. Nothing I guessed was correct. And my tweet when the show was over: "Uh uh, no Father's Day gift for you, dude!"

12. Matt and Rebekah on "The Vampire Diaries": I like Rebekah. I feel sorry for the poor original vampire who can't seem to have a drama-free school dance. And I've always been smitten with Matt. (I thought CWTV was on to something when he became Jeremy's right-hand man.) "The Vampire Diaries" has sucked this entire season and turned into one big crying episode for Elena. I enjoyed her when she turned her emotions off, but then the writers were obsessed with talking about when she'd turn them on again. I prefer the other female cast members far more, and I'm dead tired of the Stelena and Delena saga. But I was happy to see the door scene with Matt and Rebekah.

13. "The Originals": CWTV got it right by creating a spin-off show for Joseph Morgan and Charles Michael Davis. I thought Marcel was going to die before that episode of "The Vampire Diaries" was over. Hell, the warlocks Luka and Jonas Martin (played by Bryton James and Randy J. Goodwin) didn't last very long and neither did Conner Jordan (played by Todd Williams). Jasmine Guy pops up every now and then as Sheila Bennett aka Grams though. But I am smitten with the entire cast of "The Originals."

14. "Oscar's Black Odyssey: From Hattie to Halle": I got this movie from Netflix, and I will definitely be purchasing it for my personal collection. Click here to read my movie review.

15. "Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell" Native American joke: That blanket joke went over my head, and it was driving me nuts. Even the audience paused trying to get the joke and some figured it out. Others did not. Pride set in and I went scouring the Internet to get in on the scoop. I'd totally forgotten the smallpox story. W. Kamau Bell took me back to Social Studies class. I like comedians who make me think, and I certainly see why Chris Rock wanted to work with him and produce this show. (Side note: I also was opposed to the Redskins name. I'd volunteered to help out with Native American organizations to bring awareness to the name. That was one of the few good memories I have of attending Northern Michigan University.)

I had a recent conversation on Twitter with a user about the reality music television show "The Voice." I was talking about how funny an adoption joke was that Blake said. The user mentioned how Blake should shut up because of the rumors about him cheating on his wife. Now that made me pause. First of all, if he's cheating on his wife 15 times per week, that still has zip zero to do with adoption and nothing at all to do with the show. I don't support cheating, but I was really more interested in whether Blake had confirmed this. So I went looking around to find out his views and lucked up on an interview Blake did with Gayle King. I sent this link to the same user so she could hear his side and the response was that she "hopes" Blake is telling the truth. Now why is it that when a gossip magazine says Blake is cheating, one would repeat it like it's truth but when denial comes from the source's mouth, then there's skepticism? Same thing happened when the topic of Cee-Lo and sex allegations came up. He denied it. Gossip magazines said it was true. She stopped liking him because of his outfits and those allegations.

I was absolutely disgusted and shut myself off from conversation with this user. A bit extreme? Probably. But it really bugs the hell out of me how anyone can just accuse you of anything and people just believe it. There are some people in this world who have no business ever being a jury on anybody's trial. They'll walk in and believe anything the judge, police and prosecuting attorney say. Damn the evidence. Never mind "innocent until proven guilty." The defendant might as well be décor for the courtroom. With the help of gossip boredom, we've become a generation of "guilty until proven innocent" and it's annoying.

Mainstream media doesn't always get it right. We saw that with the issues CNN had with the Boston case. But I still respect stations (and publications) like them who will issue retraction statements when there are mistakes. They'll keep doing the investigative reporting to get the facts. They'll talk to the sources. They'll dig through the files. They'll be those annoying people who stand in front of your door. Too many entertainment blogs wait until the story posts and then just rewrite somebody else's work or hide behind statements like "It was just word on the street" and "[Insert second gossip publication] had it on their site, too, so why are you mad at us?" I completely understand this bizarre logic for columns and op/ed pieces. Everyone has a right to an opinion, but I don't understand it when a reader would rather check out a blog or tabloid over actual interviews with the artists. I also don't understand it when a blog won't give the reporter or the publication proper credit.

Here's an example of gossip going in the right direction: TV host Wendy Williams asked Tatiana Ali whether she was in a relationship with Drake! Wendy is the queen of gossiping but at least she put in the footwork to get a yay or nay and didn't just run off on a tangent about an Instagram photo. She got Tatiana on the show, asked her directly and waited for an answer. Speaking of Instagram, you know what I enjoy about sites like YouTube and Twitter? They give artists the opportunity to defend themselves before gossip sites (and sometimes mainstream media outlets who have completely ignored the whole idea of unbiased journalism) can get their hands on some random information. This not only clowns the publication for putting up false information but it gives the celebrities an outlet to share their opinions without having to hire a bunch of people to get that one interview to set the record straight.

While gossip may be fun to read, I think some of us forget that we're talking and reading about real human beings who could be affected by this news. The term "celebrity" does not equal "superhero." They have feelings, too. So before you go spreading or supporting publications who make a profit off of spreading vicious rumors, make sure that publication actually has some credibility. And if the information you read doesn't sound right, do your own fact-checking, too. Don't repeat it unless you're sure it's true.

2. Dress in store window: I was so ecstatic that the weather was nice that I went for a nice long walk this weekend. I walked for 2 hours 15 minutes. I found so many businesses that I usually ignore when I'm driving and a couple new hangout spots, too. But what I paid the most attention to was a dress I saw in a store window. I'll be back to buy and wear this a.s.a.p.

3. Blake Shelton's "Based on a True Story": It took me a few weeks to get past replaying songs 1 and 2, but I love this CD. Click here for the review.

4. "The Bill Cosby Show": I caught this while browsing for Bill Cosby's stand-up shows and I love this 1969 show as much as the '80s show. If you've never seen it, add it to your Netflix queue a.s.a.p. My favorite episode is with the uncle and aunt. "I don't go to work just so I don't have to kiss you goodbye." Brutal!

5. "The Vampire Diaries" with Klaus in New Orleans: I don't know how many episodes Charles M. Davis will make it through, but I love the episode of him and Klaus. And I prefer mean Elena over whining, crying, weak Elena. Some don't. I find her more interesting this way. Rebekah's still my favorite girl on the show. Bonnie's a close second. Never thought I'd like any guy over Damon but I can't get enough of Klaus' crazy ways.

And he doesn't stop there. On "Eyes," he sings, "My eyes are the only thing I don't want to take off of you." That was the sexiest way to ask a woman to get naked I've ever heard. It takes practice (or natural talent) to be able to be as goofy as he is one minute and that charismatic on the same album and in real life.

But not all the songs are for the ladies. My favorite mad-at-work song has been Kanye West's "Spaceship" for years, but Blake is a close second with "I Still Got a Finger."

I liked every single song on this album, and the one I'm most surprised I enjoyed is "Granddaddy's Gun" considering I'm a strong supporter of gun control. But what I like about listening to music that doesn't fit my own perspective is that I can hear other people's take. I don't think he intended for the song to be so political but it was a smart song to explain the rationale behind the love for guns. I'm a vegetarian who has been to a shooting range, so I can hear out both sides of this argument. I like how he sang-splained it. Still a supporter of gun control but I get it. And now I get why Blake has been so successful in the industry.




* I am now going to give Maroon 5's music a shot. Adam Levine is gorgeous on "The Voice" and maybe these folks who constantly rant about the maroon similarity have a point. It's still not a logical reason to recommend a group but who knows? I may love them. I've been a fan of Usher since "Think of You" and like Wyclef's collabo with Shakira, so maybe I'll become a fan of all four judges' music.

I can usually go through each of his CDs and find at least one song on here that I'm crazy about (many of which are mentioned on my Pinterest board for "Songs I'll Never Get Tired Of"). I started off getting the album 2 out of 5, but by the end of this review and really listening to each song, I changed it to 4 out of 5. The songs sound better the more you hear (and really listen) to them. He took some really controversial topics and added a comedic flair to them. Those are the only ones I really listened to at first, but I finally paid attention to the more traditional cuts and found out they were better than I thought.

Traditional tracks:

"Southern Comfort Zone"
"Beat This Summer"
"Runaway Train"
"Officially Alive" (No opinion on these four)

"Outstanding in Our Field": I love the guitar opener at the beginning of this song and play it repeatedly. There's something about men who can either beatbox, play the saxophone or the guitar that does it for me. I like all three equally, and Paisley is a genius on the guitar. I laughed about the Sharpie moustache line. It's a feel-good track about partying. 

"Pressing on a Bruise": As gross as his metaphor sounds, he actually has a point. You know heartbreak will hurt but you just keep on putting yourself in that same position, like pressing on a bruise. This song is pretty much for those folks who won't let the past stay in the past (or let the bruise heal).

"I Can't Change the World": There he goes with that guitar again. I'm agnostic so he lost me with the parts about Jesus, which actually comes in handy during his song about "Those Crazy Christians." However, it's a pretty good song trying to talk someone into giving him a shot.

"Tin Can on a String": Another song about heartbreak but this time it's about a man watching his ex marry another man. It's like the reaction to Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)" but a lot more uncomfortable and slower.

"Mona Lisa": This one could be or couldn't be superficial. It's basically about a guy who is happy as ever to date someone who everyone else admires. He sings about feeling like the frame holding Mona Lisa. This song could work the other way around though because I can't recall anyone talking about how hot Mona Lisa is. But who doesn't want to feel like their man doesn't admire them?

"Only Way She'll Stay": A boyfriend (or husband) contemplates about how he went from trying to get his woman to stay in their home to being kicked out. She gave him an ultimatum and now he has to follow through.

"She Never Really Got Over Him": I think most guys can relate to this one. He's basically fighting to undo a woman's heartbreak from another man by loving her in turn. Will it work?

"Beat This Summer": This is another song I love because of the guitar. When a guy can play a guitar, background music isn't really necessary. Just play acoustic. This is my favorite one from the whole album. 
 
Then we get into some non-traditional songs from the album, which are the highlights for me:

"Karate": I can't recall ever wanting to sing a song about domestic violence but listen closely to this one. The part about the belt that matched his (and her) eye amused me, but the rest of the song is pretty serious.

"Death of a Married Man": Oh, it's insensitive, but I've been reading so many news stories about older couples who were just fed up with each other. Those popped into my head while listening to this song. I loved the song. It made me wish I was a better whistler, but I spent more time laughing at this crazy song than anything else. If you've ever seen "The Bill Cosby Show" (from the '60s, not the '80s) with the aunt and uncle who cursed each other out all the time, they'll pop into your head, too. If you haven't, please get it on Netflix. It's hilarious.

"Death of a Single Man": This song will probably be played at every bachelor party who enjoys country song. I had no idea that the song was going this route from the beginning (as Paisley intended) but I was amused by the end.

"Those Crazy Christians": It's a hate-it-or-love-it song about how we may make fun of dedicated Christians who are forever in church or talking about religion while some of us aren't. But when an emergency happens or we want someone to talk to, who do we go to? Those same Christians. I enjoyed this one. I could relate to it as someone who is agnostic and basically feels the same way regardless of highlighting hypocrisy.

Savannah's so perfect that John (or I) can't believe it. She builds homes for a charity. She's great with children. She also wants to meet and befriend his father on their first date. The fact that John's father has autism doesn't bother Savannah one bit, especially considering her relationship with a six-year-old boy named Alan Wheddon, who also has a mental disability. Problem is John is in denial about his father's disability. A couple more problems include Savannah having to go back to school in a few weeks and John being called back to the army. 9/11 happens and now he's not just going back for a
little while. He's going to war. Writing letters is cool at first, but will Savannah wait the long haul? Will John stay interested? Up to you to find out. 

One of my problems with the film is we don't get enough backstory on John. There's an incident at a seafood location that could've easily been a focal point, but it's quickly brushed aside. Savannah's story is fleshed out far more than Johns. In addition to that, this movie looks so predictable that I thought I could sum up the ending from the first 20 minutes. Unfortunately for my unpaid psychic skills, I was dead wrong about everything. I was also delighted that I was wrong about everything not so much because the movie went how I wanted it to go but that the screenwriters threw in some loops that don't fit your average romantic film. If John's character would've been explained more (and not just the coins), this would've been an easy 5 stars.

In other celebrity relationship books, we hear from authors who swear their opinion is right and they know everything there is to know about men. I always thought that was a bit arrogant because I can write a laundry list of women I disagree with so I wouldn't dare say I know how women think. I know how one woman thinks. But what I love about this book versus all others (minus Hill Harper's "The Conversation," which also incorporated a bunch of different views from various people while telling his own tales) is that it showed that not all men think alike. There is no one size fits all, and when women say they wouldn't read a book like this because they know what men think, this is a prime example of how two people with the same body parts do not share the same perspectives. This is not news to me. In my CT review, I highlighted a point that Tyrese and Steve Harvey ("Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man") don't see eye to eye on, so I knew this was coming.

I enjoy reading the ying yang ideas of younger men versus older men and married men versus single men in literature like this. There's only one celebrity relationship book so far that was truly a disappointment, and this book isn't it. Not only did "Manology" have opposite views on pretty much everything, they still managed to keep the tone playful and you could tell they are really friends. And neither author was afraid to share their own shortcomings (especially Tyrese). I was surprised that Rev Run brought up how women viewed Justine on "Run's House." I honestly didn't expect him to humor the "soft" accusations being thrown at her, especially after she'd pretty much covered her views in "Take Back Your Family**." But he did. And after he explained the dynamics of their relationship, I respected their relationship even more than I already did. I personally don't know any married men who go this far out of their way to avoid other women, but if it works for them, so be it. 

The only surprise moment from Rev Run was when he agreed with Tyrese about reality cast member Chrissy Lampkin proposing to rapper Jim Jones. For some reason, I thought he would've been opposed to that. Their co-sign of this was even stranger considering on the spin-off show the two never ended up marrying, Chrissy complained nonstop (again) and then she moved out. My view on proposals has always been if the guy hesitates to ask you, he'll hesitate to marry you. I know a lot of married couples (and know of plenty more) and I have yet to meet a married couple who worked out when the woman proposed to the man. It could happen...someday. Their argument for women proposing would've worked better had they highlighted a couple they personally know who succeeded outside of this norm.

Either way it goes, I didn't agree with everything but I certainly enjoyed reading the book. I'd recommend it to single people (whether you're looking for a relationship or not), and those who are dating or married to see if there are things you may want to improve on. It's a well-rounded book for all. And finally in one of these reads, there's some advice for men. Bonus!


 

* Considering some of the heat Tyrese recently got on Twitter about women and weight, I'm sure some will be offended. I was not, but that's primarily because I am
very much into health, fitness and nutrition. I also think the African-American
population is sometimes in a state of denial about how badly we eat and ignore
exercising. This is why I keep tabs on organizations and people who prove otherwise. And as for dating thugs, I went through an MC Lyte "Ruffneck" stage for several years and realized how much time I wasted in my 20s. If I could eliminate three exes from my memory bank, I certainly would and I'd love to redo those moments with guys who were much better people. Being tough isn't the "business" when you have nothing else to back it up.

** Download my Chicago Defender print book review files for "Take Back Your Family" here.

3. Evil Elena on "The Vampire Diaries": Some TVD fans may not like her, but I'm relieved her character is doing more than crying, whining about being into two people and has grown a backbone. I like Rebekah, too. But I guess me liking them when they're more edgy and have attitudes says more about me than them, huh? Ah well, I like strong characters on television shows, and Elena was annoying for a couple seasons. Now I watch the show to see her, in addition to grinning at Ian Somerhalder and Joseph Morgan.

4. Work compliments: I've taken on a lot of projects on a daily basis, and as much as I enjoy my job sometimes it can be overwhelming. However, what I do like is to get the occasional (repeat: occasional -- I despise overkill and people who fuss over me freak me out) compliment on my work or a project I'm doing or acknowledgment of something I've done that went above and beyond. I got that several times this week (a couple times from people who I rarely hear from and one person I didn't know), and it felt good. Nobody is going to have a good day everyday, but I'm a firm believer that if you feel miserable at your job, it's time to move on. But if you have a job or tasks that you are very passionate about, that'll always overpower the rough days. 

     Side note: Staying stress free during a week of stressful news stories: With the Waco, TX power plant fire; ricin mail; gun control vote; the Boston bombings; and the MIT shootings, I have not had one dull moment. I'm amazed I managed to get everything I usually need to get done on top of focus on these huge stories during the night shift, so this time around I'm giving my damn self a pat on the back. I don't do that much because I feel like you're supposed to do your job, but I managed to be cool, focus and know what my priorities were. Why does this matter? Because I am my own worst critic and can stress myself out in 1.5 seconds. Staying focused worked to my advantage. I listened to a lot of country music in my car and at work (Blake Shelton and Brad Baisley are my go-to music) when I wasn't hawk-eyeing news stations. I don't know what it is but country music has been my go-to music to calm down and is making me into a serious fan. In addition to that, the team I work with was on the money. We all helped each other out, kept each other informed and filled in whenever and wherever someone was needed. So I'm giving them an HNA, too! This had to be the most insane week I've ever had at the Trib, but ironically it was my most memorable and I enjoyed it. However, I hope none of these types of events ever happen again in any country ever again (as naïve as that may sound). 

5. Way Back Machine: If I'd have known about this site a few months back, I wouldn't have had to scan all of these articles on Other Publications. I found out about the site via Wikipedia when I was trying to get rid of a bunch of broken links to old articles and links that don't go to my bylines. Copy and paste the original link, and Way Back Machine will take you back to the time when that link was live.

6. 890 WLS AM Radio: I'd never listened to 890 AM until April 19, but I had too much to do on Friday and couldn't sit in front of a computer staring at the Chicago Tribune's web site or CNN's web site and TV station so for a few hours while I was driving, I listened to "Roe & Roeper." I love that show! I didn't realize I was listening to two regular guests on "Windy City Live" even though I watch that show daily. I usually only listen to AM radio for big events (presidential elections, etc.). I wanted to know what was going on with the MIT shooting. The hosts knew when to weed out the crazies, which facts to report (versus some other AM station that went on a rant about why guns are needed in Boston homes) and had an interesting interview with an MIT student reporter. Good stuff. I added them to my favorites. I'm not usually in my car around the time their show is on, but I'll keep it in my mind on Fridays.

7. 99.5 FM: I used to love hip-hop, but in the past few years I just can't keep ignoring the idiotic, vulgar and sexist lyrics that are getting worse and worse. I can't dance to them. I can't make myself dumb down enough to argue about poetic license. What I have done is started branching out to other types of music. I already talked about my interest in jazz and now I'm blasting the hell out of this Chicago country station. I have it set on my car radio now and usually never change from this station, which is odd for me because 95% of the time I'm listening to CDs in my car. I listen to V103's Dede's 5 Things, the Adult Conversation,  Herb Kent's Battle of the Best, and that's about all I can stomach for regular radio. But not anymore!

8. Blake Shelton's "Based on a True Story": It's difficult to explain why I -- a non-smoker -- am walking around saying "chew tobacco, chew tobacco, chew tobacco, spiiiiit," but "Boys 'Round Here" is catchy as hell. I'm the furthest person from a redneck, but I like Blake Shelton's voice and love his singing on his new CD. I cracked up when he started talking about the Dougie. I hope he does it on "The Voice" one week when he decides to dance against Usher. "I was gonna keep it real, like chill, like only have a drink or two..." "You can't shoot me down 'cause you've already knocked me dead." That man has soul!

9. Brad Paisley's "Wheelhouse": He asked his fans to listen to the entire CD straight through at least once. I did that, and I wasn't ready for it to end. He took on quite a few controversial topics as usual. Still love his voice. Still love his songs. And I still don't have a problem with "Accidental Racist." I bought Blake's and Brad's CDs the same night.

10. 401(k): I'm finally starting to understand the perk of savings accounts. I am not the best person to come to when talking about retirement. My thought process has always been, "What if I die before I get to use this money? I could use this money for bills and my student loan now!" But I'm slowly coming around. Plus I like that Vanguard and the Tribune make it mandatory that if you ever deduct money from your account, you pay it back in future checks or as one lump sum. I think if I had the flexibility to just withdraw money whenever I saw fit, I'd never save anything. I still prefer being debt free over having a boatload in a savings account, but the more I observe my grandfather manage to live comfortably through his past employer, veteran funds and investing, the more I get it. I do not want to rely on Social Security or end up poor when I'm too old to work. I'd rather enjoy my senior discount and choose to use it instead of relying on it.