Love

Last year my new year's resolution was to love myself more. I felt like I wasn't taking care of myself. I didn't care how I looked because I was constantly working. I never got sick because I didn't have time to get sick. Not only did I not take care of myself, but I also constantly had negative thoughts. I never took the time to look around and be thankful for my life and for what I had. So I not only wanted to love myself more, but I needed to appreciate and love my life. I wanted to think more positively about everything. I got tired of being down on myself and others especially. I was always involved in other people's drama and in other people's business. I obsessed and fed off of people's negative energy. At the time I worked at the PR agency with 55 women, and they all thought they were too fat, too ugly, too skinny, too this or too that. I got caught up in that Los Angeles drama, the drama of not being happy with yourself and constantly worrying about how that can be changed.

As 2008 pushed on I noticed the change in myself. I became happy with myself and happy with my life. I slowly stopped worrying about others, and it took a lot for me to detach myself from others. People may think its fucked up or whatever, but I had to detach from others. I couldn't talk to people or deal with them. I stopped dealing with others drama. I felt like Mary J. Blige, with no more drama in my life. I not only transformed, but I cemented my change with a tattoo. My very first tattoo ever, on my right wrist, love in Kanji.

So now, after the transformation of me loving my self more and taking better care of myself, I had to think about my new New Year's resolution for 2009. I thought about what someone told me last year. I was told that I don't live in the moment, and that I constantly live in the future. I am always making plans and thinking about the next step in life. If you don't believe me, I already have 4 vacations planned and damn near paid for, for 2009. I don't know who else does that, but I even have outfit ideas for each separate vacation. That is just the way my mind works. But I would like to live in the present, and to enjoy the now. I don't know why I always think about the future and just constantly worry about it. I need to turn off that part of my brain, and just be here, present. I feel like I'm constantly dreaming, and off in another world. So resolution number one, is to live in the now. Resolution number two is to live my life to the fullest and to further enjoy every moment that I am alive and awake.

I know it seems like something so simple, but honestly for me it is not that easy to just let go. I will admit to being a bit of a control freak, so to let go and to just be, will be a difficult task for me. I have never been able to let go, because I was afraid of the unknown. Afraid of what would happen if someone else took control, or if the ball wasn't in my court. So that is my resolution, to live in the moment and to enjoy every single moment of my life. I do want to get another tattoo to commemorate this new moment in my life, but we shall see what happens.

I am also turning 25 in 2009, and I know that it seems so super young, but I think I'm have a quarter life crisis. I can't believe that I will be 25. Its another part of my controlling, because I thought that I knew for sure where I would be and what I would be doing at this point in my life, however, I'm not there yet. So that is what makes me so nervous about turning 25. I have never been the type of person who just floated through life without a thought or a care in the world. I had plans for my future when I was 9 years old. I was on the way to my goals at 13. But somewhere along the way, when life hit me smack in the face, I got stuck. Not stuck because of me, I still have my dreams, goals and ambitions, and I know that I will carry them out, but I assumed that I would be half way there already. I guess I put too much pressure on myself. But that can be changed through my resolution. Through living in the moment and taking care of my life on a day to day basis, as opposed to on a month by month or year to year basis. I skip part A and go all the way to part D, without ever getting a handle on part A. So wish me luck in my endeavors and on my New Year's Resolution, and I will support you on yours.

Happy New Year and here is to a prosperous and wonderful 2009!

Bryant, Gasol lead Lakers past Celtics 92-83

....I am so happy the Lakers won....Merry Christmas to me!!!!!

By JOHN NADEL, AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP)—The six-month wait is over. The Los Angeles Lakers can put the anguish of losing the NBA finals to the Boston Celtics and the embarrassment over the way the series ended behind them.

Kobe Bryant had 27 points, nine rebounds and five assists, Pau Gasol scored seven of his 20 points in the final three minutes, and the Lakers used a strong finish to beat Boston 92-83 Thursday, snapping the Celtics’ franchise-record 19-game winning streak.

The game was the first between the teams since the Celtics romped to a 131-92 victory in Game 6 of the finals last June to win their first championship in 22 years and league-high 17th title. The Lakers blew a 24-point second-quarter lead in Game 4 at Staples Center to fall behind 3-1—a deficit that’s never been overcome in the finals.

The teams have been archrivals since the 1960s, having met 11 times in the finals, with the Celtics going 9-2.

“We’ve been waiting for that opportunity for a long time, and we won,” said Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic, who scored 10 points. “I don’t like them at all. A lot of people called us softies or whatever. It doesn’t matter at all. We know what we can do.

“Last year, they won the championship. This year, it’s our year, we want to take it all the way.”

The victory was the 1,000th for Los Angeles’ Phil Jackson, enabling him to become the sixth NBA coach to reach that milestone. The 63-year-old Jackson has a career record of 1,000-423 in 17-plus seasons as coach of the Chicago Bulls and Lakers. He became the fastest to win 1,000 games, surpassing Pat Riley, who did it in 1,434 games.

“It’s amazing. I mean, he’s one of the greatest coaches of all time,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “I can guarantee you that I won’t win 1,000 games because I won’t be around that long. It’s just an amazing number. When you throw up 1,000 wins, that says a lot.”

The Celtics entered with a 27-2 record—the fastest start by a two-loss team. They were in pretty good shape when Kevin Garnett dunked off a feed from Rajon Rondo to put them ahead 81-79 with 3:57 remaining. But the Lakers went on a 13-2 run to finish the game.

“Give them all the credit,” said Boston’s Paul Pierce, who had 20 points and 10 rebounds but was scoreless in the fourth quarter. “We just have to play better down the stretch.”

Gasol missed his first four shots, and showed frustration at times. But he made all three of his shots and all three of his free throws in the fourth quarter for nine of his team’s 21 points.

“We were pretty physical,” said Gasol, who had three rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots. “We were able to contain them, keep our poise and finish the game off. I had to make sure I took it to them, not settle for easy jumpers. I’m glad I was able to get over that hump of a slow start.

“It shows we can beat anybody. Hopefully, we’ll build on it.”

Jackson said the Lakers played excellent defense in the fourth quarter, when they held the Celtics to 16 points. Boston shot 8-of-19 and was 0-for-7 on 3-pointers in the final period.

“I’m really happy with Pau,” Jackson said. “He stepped up in that fourth quarter and we really needed him.”

Lamar Odom had 10 points and seven rebounds for the Lakers (24-5), who won their 12th straight game at home, where they’re 15-1. Andrew Bynum, who missed most of last season and the playoffs with an injured knee, had nine points and seven rebounds.

Garnett shot 11-of-14 in leading the Celtics (27-3) with 22 points and nine rebounds. Ray Allen scored 14, but went 2-of-11 after making his first three shots. Rondo was held to six points, shooting 3-of-11, but had 12 assists.

“They played great, give them credit,” Rivers said. “For a team that has been phenomenal down a stretch of games, I didn’t think we were very good tonight. We’ve been as composed as any team that I’ve seen in a long time, and I thought quite honestly that we lost it a little bit at the end.”

A 15-foot jumper by Gasol with 2:48 left snapped an 81-all tie and put the Lakers ahead for good. Allen’s 3-pointer failed, and Gasol scored from close range off an assist from Bryant with two minutes left, putting Los Angeles up by four and sending the crowd of 18,997 into a frenzy.

Garnett answered with a jumper to draw the Celtics within two, but Gasol’s three-point play with 1:28 left put the Lakers on top 88-83. Gasol then blocked a 3-pointer by Allen, setting up Trevor Ariza for a dunk that gave Los Angeles a seven-point lead with 1:12 to go. Bryant’s basket completed the scoring.

“It was my first Christmas game, and I’m obviously blessed to be here,” Garnett said. “There’s a reason why teams are playing on this special day, so it had a playoff energy and a playoff atmosphere to it, absolutely. It’s tough when you lose against anybody. We probably took a step back, but hats off to a good Laker team. Pau made big shots when he had to and Kobe put stress on the defense.”

Boston’s Eddie House made his only basket with 8:09 remaining to tie it at 75. Neither team led by more than two points after that until the Lakers took command.

Pierce scored five points and Allen added three during an 8-0 run that put Boston ahead 64-62. Then, with Bryant on the bench, Odom made two 3-pointers, and the Lakers outscored the Celtics 9-3 to finish the third period and take a 71-67 lead.

Vujacic scored eight points and Bryant added six during a 16-5 run to begin the second quarter, giving the Lakers a 39-29 lead—largest in the game for either team—and they were on top 51-45 at halftime.

Neither team led by more than three in the first quarter, which ended with the Celtics on top 24-23. Boston shot 61.1 percent to 47.6 percent for the Lakers, but committed six of its 18 turnovers.

Notes

Boston’s Glen Davis returned to action after missing two games because of a concussion sustained in a traffic accident last Sunday, and had four points and four rebounds in 13 minutes. … The Lakers played without backup point guard Jordan Farmar, who underwent knee surgery Wednesday and will be sidelined approximately eight weeks. … The game marked the first time in NBA history that two teams met with so few losses (seven) this late in the season. … The game was the 10th straight for the Lakers on Christmas. They have an overall record of 20-15 on Christmas including 11-6 at home. … It was the Celtics’ first game on Christmas since 2002. They have a 10-15 record, going 9-15 on the road and 1-0 at a neutral site. They have never played at home on Christmas. … The game was the first on Christmas between the teams since 1970, when the Lakers won a 123-113 home decision.

And now for the updated standings....

2008-2009 Conference Regular Season Standings
Eastern Conference
Eastern	W	L	PCT	GB	CONF	DIV	HOME	ROAD	L 10	STREAK
Boston1	27	3	0.900	0.0	20-1	6-0	17-1	10-2	9-1	L 1
Cleveland2	24	4	0.857	2.0	15-3	6-1	14-0	10-4	9-1	W 4
Orlando3	23	6	0.793	3.5	10-2	3-1	13-3	10-3	9-1	W 6
Atlanta4	18	10	0.643	8.0	13-7	6-0	12-2	6-8	6-4	W 3
Detroit5	15	11	0.577	10.0	11-7	5-0	8-5	7-6	5-5	W 1
Miami6	15	12	0.556	10.5	7-6	3-2	9-5	6-7	7-3	W 3
New Jersey7	14	14	0.500	12.0	8-9	3-2	5-10	9-4	4-6	W 1
Milwaukee8	14	16	0.467	13.0	9-10	2-4	8-4	6-12	6-4	W 3
Chicago	13	15	0.464	13.0	6-10	2-4	10-3	3-12	5-5	L 1
Philadelphia	12	16	0.429	14.0	8-13	2-4	7-8	5-8	4-6	L 2
New York	11	16	0.407	14.5	6-11	1-3	7-5	4-11	3-7	L 4
Toronto	11	17	0.393	15.0	9-9	2-5	5-8	6-9	3-7	W 1
Indiana	10	18	0.357	16.0	6-15	0-6	6-7	4-11	3-7	L 1
Charlotte	10	19	0.345	16.5	5-14	2-4	8-10	2-9	3-7	W 1
Washington	4	22	0.154	21.0	2-18	0-7	3-12	1-10	1-9	L 7
Western Conference
Western	W	L	PCT	GB	CONF	DIV	HOME	ROAD	L 10	STREAK
L.A. Lakers1	24	5	0.828	0.0	16-1	6-1	15-1	9-4	7-3	W 3
San Antonio2	19	10	0.655	5.0	15-6	4-3	11-5	8-5	8-2	W 4
Houston3	19	10	0.655	5.0	14-7	4-3	9-3	10-7	7-3	L 1
Denver4	18	11	0.621	6.0	13-9	4-2	10-4	8-7	5-5	L 1
New Orleans5	16	9	0.640	6.0	12-5	3-1	9-4	7-5	7-3	L 2
Portland5	18	11	0.621	6.0	10-9	3-3	10-2	8-9	5-5	W 1
Dallas7	16	11	0.593	7.0	9-7	4-2	8-6	8-5	7-3	W 2
Phoenix8	16	12	0.571	7.5	9-9	1-2	9-6	7-6	5-5	L 1
Utah	17	13	0.567	7.5	12-2	5-0	10-4	7-9	5-5	L 2
Memphis	9	19	0.321	14.5	6-14	1-7	7-8	2-11	5-5	L 4
L.A. Clippers	8	20	0.286	15.5	6-14	0-4	3-11	5-9	5-5	L 2
Golden State	8	22	0.267	16.5	5-8	1-1	4-7	4-15	3-7	L 2
Sacramento	7	22	0.241	17.0	7-16	3-3	5-9	2-13	2-8	L 4
Minnesota	4	23	0.148	19.0	2-18	1-7	2-11	2-12	0-10	L 13
Oklahoma City	3	26	0.103	21.0	2-13	1-2	2-13	1-13	1-9	L 2

Wow This is Really a Story!

This is proof that people need to get a fucking life. Who the hell cares if she has two rings? If a woman can be lucky enough to get a man who can buy her two rings then more power to her. This isn't from a tabloid or anything, but the San Francisco Chronicle, online edition. Damn, they had no other news....

Beyonce's 'Fake' Engagement Ring

Beyonce Knowles has two engagement rings, and switches to a less expensive "fake" when she's onstage and out in public.

When the superstar's spouse Jay-Z popped the question last year he presented her with a stunning $5 million, 18-carat diamond ring, and also gave her a much cheaper $5,000 imitation for concerts and parties.

A source tells Star magazine, "Even though Beyonce's real engagement ring is insured, she doesn't always feel comfortable wearing such a valuable stone."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=7&entry_id=33792

Midnight: A Gangster Love Story

So I just finished reading the book, and damn Sister Souljah did such a great job. I think that every single man and woman need to read this book. Midnight was only 14 years old just about the entire book, yet he seemed so much older and wiser. Because if his Islamic religion, he respected women, his family and himself. Although he had to deal with the temptations of Brooklyn, girls and even advances from older women, he held true to his beliefs. In a world such as New York, where it is so easy to loose yourself, he kept true to everything. As a young boy he transforms in to a man, when he takes Akemi as his wife, under the eyes of Allah and some witnesses. He even has to deal with his interracial relationship from being a with a Japanese girl, and catching the evil eyes from Black women. He dealt with so much at such a young age, and yet kept my respect the entire book.

After reading the book, I started thinking about how much women can ruin a man's life. Don't get all defensive women, but its just how I was feeling after wards. Midnight took so much care and consideration in taking care of his mother and younger sister. They were his world. Think about how many young men abandon their mothers for the love of the streets, the money and the hood. He never conformed in this story. He continued to pick his mother up from work every single day, and protect her from all men. Including having to murder someone who fell in love with his mother, after seeing her uncovered. Any challenge that came to him, he dealt with it. Even though all the so-called "flyest" women threw themselves at him, he kept his composure, because he not only didn't want to get involved, but he couldn't. His religion required that he waited until he got married to make love. Think about how many fast ass women take the virginity of men. I'm not in defense of men, because I know there are double that amount that take it from women. But do women even respect themselves enough to keep their virginity anymore? I don't know, i haven't been one for quite awhile. But if I could do it over again, i wish I would have waited for my soul mate, my true love and my husband.


Souljah make you look at women from a much different perspective, than The Coldest Winter Ever. Through Winter's eyes, she was always right, but now after reading Midnight's side of the story, so to speak, I understand why he rejected her. He rejected all those whorish women, who rocked their mini skirts and short shorts and halter tops. Women who most men would be all over, he rejected them. He went for someone who was a genius. I mean this girl, Akemi, was a fucking genius. She was gentle, she was feminine and she was a virgin. I wonder if men can really smell the desperation in women, especially when they throw themselves all over them. How can us women allow our portrayals to be so bad? And even worse, how can men take advantage of us in our times of weakness? They should be stronger, like Midnight, and hold their composure, like he was able to do. I don't understand what went wrong when it comes to our community and our people.

Its like everyone started in one place, and ended up all over the place. The only thing that upset me was how it ended, but I'm sure Souljah has jumped way ahead of everyone and left it up to our imagination. After all, we do know what happened to Midnight when dealing with Santiaga, and Winter. But even then he was so mysterious. Now we can understand why he was so mysterious and what really weighed on his heart, was his true love who he may or may not have lost. Damn, Winter just didn't know, she was so out of his league. And what I love the most about him, was his mysteriousness, and how he kept his religion and love for himself only. There was no need for him to explain himself to Winter, because she wouldn't understand, like most of those hood girls didn't. Yet they all fell madly in love with him. Its the most mysterious of men that attract women. And there are still those guys who brag, talk shit, and spit game at girls. Maybe they will realize that all of that doesn't work, and its the quiet guys that get the girls.

All I'm saying is read the book, buy the book and support your black Sister Souljah!

~JB

Fashion obsessions

Okay so I found this dress that I absolutely love. I don't like the way it looks on the model, but I think I could fill it out a little better. I would prefer it in pink, but I could live with the color either way. Its a Monique Lhuillier, who I adore. Her fashions are gorgeous yet young and hip. I actually like her wedding dresses, and I'm not a huge fan of the long gowns. But her gowns still show a woman's shape, even though most of the models are shapeless. But this dress, I could wear to the reception after the wedding. I saw it a year ago in a magazine and took a photo of it, and I saw it recently while searching her site. I like shorter dresses, and the material on this dress looks so delicate and soft and feminine. I would even wear this as a wedding dress, just because of the simplicity. I don't like all that fancy beading, lace and white silk. I'm more of a modern type of person, who also likes to be plain and not too outlandish.

I also found this pink silk, chiffon top that I think is so adorable. The bright color is pretty. Pink is my absolute favorite color if you haven't noticed. I like halter tops too, but I like them to be feminine, not tacky and made of cheap material. I think the last time I owned a cotton or cheap halter top, I was twelve or thirteen. This top is fun and flirty. I forgot who the designer was though, oops.



And finally, 2009, I decided to invest in a Gucci bag. I have Louis Vuitton and a few Coach bags, but I love this Gucci bag. I like the cloth they use and their big leather handles. Plus my Louis Vuitton bag is a handle bag, so I can't put it on my shoulder, which gets annoying. And my bigger Coach bag is should bag, but I can't put as much stuff in it as I would like. So I will be purchasing this bag in the new year, there is no doubt about that.

Untitled

Last night I dreamed that you died
This isn't the first time that I had this dream
But this was the first time I didn't cry
I couldn't cry
Because isn't it true?
You died to me a while ago
Our tombstone reads 1984-1996
Beloved Father and daughter relationship
Daughter followed father everywhere
But that relationship ended
You controlled the relationship then
I was too young
The ball was in your court
You were the adult, who should have set the example
But now, that I'm an adult, I have decided to keep the relationship where it is
Dead
Dead to me
Dead to you
I tried to fix it
I tried to make amends
I tried to bring it back to life
But you did nothing
You didn't bother to help
You kept your distance
You don't even call
So when you died last night
In my sleep
It might as well be true
In life
In reality it is true
Because our relationship is dead
That of Father and daughter

The Coldest Winter Ever Movie?

I can't believe I forgot to talk about this on Wednesday's blog. When I was at Barnes and Noble, listening to the wise words of Sister Souljah, she cleared up rumors about The Coldest Winter Ever movie. She said that years ago, when she was in D.C. at a conference she met up with Jada Pinkett Smith. And she had given Jada an advanced copy of the book. Jada told her that it had to be made in to a movie. They got in to contact with each other, this was like 8 or 9 years ago, maybe even right around the time the book came out. Anyways, HBO was interested and worked with Souljah and Jada to get a film made, that was just going to air on HBO. However, HBO ended up loosing interest, and Souljah had to buy the rights back of the film. She wanted to buy the rights back, because she owned the publishing rights to the book, so why should someone else own the rights to the film. Plus, HBO could have just made the movie without her, because they owned the rights at the time. She said that she had to pay up to $250,000 to get the rights back, and she did.


So now she owns the rights. She said people have come to her with offers and contracts to make it into a movie, but the right offer hasn't come along. She said that she can "read" and she reads all of the contracts that are brought to her, and if she doesn't like "one line" of that contract, then she's not signing it. But now, Jada has contacted her again about the movie, and they maybe talking very soon. Gosh, who would play Winter? Unfortunately the African American actresses to choose from are few and far between, especially of younger actresses. Souljah said that Winter's life in the book goes from when she was 13 to 18, and she ended it in jail, as we know. So who could play her? We don't have that many choices. Meagan Good? Who knows? I forgot to mention that in my last blog about Souljah. I'm on chapter 6 of the new book, and I keep waiting for Winter's name to come up, but I don't think its going to happen soon. Its not what you think, but it is damn good.

~ JB

2pac's Death Announced at Nas' Concert

MTV Shows

Never saw this before and thought it was worth sharing for the people who were not there.

Incredibly Inspired

This evening I had the pleasure of listening to an amazing woman. Ms. Sister Souljah! She was very inspirational, but of course you knew that ;) She read chapter one of her newest novel, Midnight: A Gangsta Love Story. Midnight's story is not what I think most reader's expect to read. You learn all about Midnight and his background, things you never knew. I think because us readers learned about Midnight from the eyes of Winter Santiaga we think of him in a different light. As a baller, a dealer, a paid man, a sexy tall mutha fucka. But he is silent throughout most of the novel. As Sister Souljah put it tonight, "Midnight is basically a stranger to everyone and yet all these women love him." She said that women have screamed and yelled at her, because its been 10 years since her last novel. And people have been waiting and waiting. She said, "I was living my life, what were you doing?" She said that originally, right after The Coldest Winter Ever, that she started writing The Adventures of Porsche Santiaga, Winter's younger sister. But after September 11th, she stopped writing it, although she was a little more than half way done with it. She just stopped and thought, "Does America want to read about another silly girl during this time?" She thought about finishing the novel, but looked around at America and at everything going on after 9/11.


I don't know about your states, but in New York, people started attacking any and everyone who they thought was Islamic, or Muslim. New Yorkers were so angry after 9/11, I know a lot of people were angry, but many New Yorkers were killing and attacking 7-11 workers and cab drivers. So anyways, Souljah thought about all these things, and decided to pick a different character from the novel. Midnight, she said, was from Sudan and he was Islamic. So this book is about his transition from Africa to New York and how different he thought. He actually hated America and black people in America. And he hated the fact that he was automatically associated with black people just because of his dark skin color. This is all with in the first chapter. Sister Souljah said that this is her absolute favorite book. I have studied black men in college, which I know sounds strange, but from the first chapter I think that this would be a good book to be studied in those sort of courses. Everything is from Midnight's eyes and his perspective is what a black man should be like, and not how they actually are in America. Sorry, if that came out wrong, because I give much respect to all the men that take care of their business. But this novel should be read by all most definitely. Black men can learn about how they should be, and how they should treat not only women but themselves and how they should carry themselves in public and to not act so ignorant to everything.

Sister Souljah talked a little bit about how society makes men act, i.e; Hip Hop/rappers and how black men are treated in the media. Midnight looks to his father and family as his "role models" and not to the rappers and the people who use the word Nigga in an ignorant manner. She said that although these characters are made up, from her imagination only, she has received much inspiration from people that she actually knows and has met. She said after working 15 years with young people, she understands them and their struggle. She said even though the characters are not real, they actually are real because Winter Santiaga is not just one person in the ghetto, but she is every girl in the ghetto that Souljah has come in contact with. She talked about everything from these two characters, Winter and Midnight. Not too many people asked questions about the characters, but more about how they can approach writing.


She definitely taught me some things which I can take back to the book that I am writing and it will help make it that much better. But I can't give away all the secrets. I just feel privileged to be able to listen to her speak in my lifetime, and to hear her thought process. She is quite the comedian.

All I will say about the Midnight book is that, it is not what you think, but you will learn more and appreciate him that much more because he is such a different character, than most of the stereotypical black characters in Urban novels. Oh and she signed my book and my Coldest Winter Ever, which I've had for 10 years.

~ JB

Tis' the Season

This holiday season seems to have crept up a lot sooner than I expected. People already had their Christmas trees up by Thanksgiving, and as Black Friday approached, those same people were prepared to line up at the stores for those damn door busting deals by 4 a.m. People went nuts on Friday, and for what, great deals? A fucking present? A man was trampled in New York at a Walmart at 4:55 a.m. because the people were too damn impatient to wait for them to unlock the door. He died of a heart attack at the age of 34, see photo to the right. The police were there most of the morning, as the crowd of 2,000 waited all night to get in, and catch some deals. I didn't know Christmas was this serious. As much as I love shopping, there is nothing that can get me out the door before the crack of dawn to shop. That is insane. I sure hope the presents were worth a man's life. See the related stories below.

Not only that, but two men shot each other in California, inside of a Toys R Us store on Friday, over a toy. They were both fighting and arguing about it, and one man pulled out his piece, and so did the other man. Why would someone bring a gun to a children's toy store, unless they were planning on robbing it? See the news clip below, and I apologize for the commercial.

This time of year pisses me off so much. It actually makes me hate the way people act. I usually spend more time inside around the holidays. Avoiding the crowds is good for me. People are always ready to fight, over the stupidest thing, like a parking spot. Out here in California, holiday shopping is so serious. I don't know how it is anywhere else, but here and NYC, because I've shopped around Christmas in NYC too. Advertisers definitely got their money's worth this season, since people were out in packs. The traffic is so bad around this time of year too! There are 4 malls within a 2 mile radius from my house too, so it takes super long to get home from work. Every year seems to get worse and worse.

People are extra rude around this time of year. They yell at retailers demanding a better deal. They fight for spots in line. They fight for presents. I just don't understand what comes over people, and why they are so stressed out. If I like something, and I can't get it for whatever reason, I find something better. There is no need to argue with the manager, or fight whomever took the last one. That seems so incredibly silly to me. I thought the holidays was supposed to make people happier? I guess not. This year is more stressful than any other, and I think people were even more brutal on Friday because they HAD to have those deals. Possibly any other time a few bucks difference didn't really matter, but now it does. Times are hard, and that is understandable, but to take someone's life at this time of year, its not worth what you're saving. The holiday season, a time to be merry, brings out only the worse in people, and I look forward to staying home more often.

Happy Holidays


http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/29/business/29walmart.html?_r=1&scp=
1&sq=Walmart&st=cse



http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2008/11/29/2008-
11-29_day_after_stampede__shopping_li_walmart_.html

http://www.freep.com/article/20081129
/NEWS07/811290333

Giving Thanks!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I have so much to be thankful for this year, its not even funny. Although the economy is so crummy, I am thanking God right now for every moment I am breathing. I spent Monday in the ER and the last few days suffering from the worse pelvic pain of my life. Them damn ER doctors couldn't find shit wrong with me. I wasn't pregnant, they couldn't find anything on the ultrasound, Nothing! Nada! Yet I felt a lump the size of a miniature egg on my left side, and it was definitely near my ovary. I am so upset with the ER for so many reasons, and you better believe they will be hearing from me. So today was the only day I could get an appointment with an OBGYN. I'm going later today...however whatever was inside of me has dissipated. The egg shaped lump is gone, and I can actually feel where it was. I've been going crazy trying to diagnose myself, which is bad idea, just FYI. I thought maybe it was an ectopic pregnancy, which could still be the case, and maybe my body aborted it. Who knows...but today is the first day in almost two weeks that I don't have pelvic pain. I won't go into any more detail...

Any way, yesterday with my family was great. I love them so much! Family is the best! I got to see all my cousins and my grandparents and my aunts and uncles. Although I was in pain yesterday, seeing them made everything feel great! My grandmother made me a quilt, by hand, I have two others from her, but this one is special. The first one she gave me was when I was 12, and the second one was when I was 18. And now a brand new quilt. See my inserted photo. I love it so much. I slept with it last night, and I think it was the source of my healing. She made it by hand...that loving hand is what saved my life. Also, my so gracious aunt has agreed to send me and my beau on vacation! In August 2009, we're either going to spend our 7 year anniversary in Hawaii or Puerto Rico. She has a timeshare, and she always lets us use it. We went to Cancun, Cabo San Lucas and of course, the place where we first met, because his parents have the same timeshare, the Dominican Republic. So we have something to look forward to next year, even though its months away, I love vacations. Another reason to love family, all those cousins and aunts you haven't seen, love to give me money. Ummm yes, I did receive my B.A. last year, and no you didn't give me a gift, oh money, that works! Family is the best!

Something else to be so thankful for, I filled up my tank for only $20. Yes, $20, gas was only $1.99 a gallon. What! Crazy! I am so happy for that. Even though my job is only 2 miles away from home, I can save even more money. $15 less to fill up my tank!

Finally, the most important thing to be thank ful for. My beau and I went grocery shopping about a week ago, our regular routine, we always make sure our fridge is stocked. We cooked our own thanksgiving meal this year. Even though we went to my grandparents house in Palm Springs, we didn't have to take any left overs home. We made mac and cheese, ham, smoked turkey, mashed potatoes, yams, dressing, green beans and corn on the cobb. We also bought an Apple pie, my fave, from Marie Callendar's. I feel so lucky to have food and more importantly, to have money for food. This holiday season is going to rough for so many people. It won't be that easy for us, don't think we're big balling or anything. Instead of buying presents for each other, we are going to San Francisco, a place he has never seen, since he hails from NY, and a place I haven't been to in 10 years. We're going for Valentine's Day weekend. Staying at the Parc Fifty Five hotel located in Union Square. I'm so excited! Also, we're buying a brand new dresser for our bedroom. We need a bigger one. And that's it. Our little family, E, our pitbull Primo, and my two turtles. That's our family for now, and I love every mintue of life.

Hope you and yours can give thanks like I can. Happy Thanksgiving!

Recent Fashion Finds

Every week I go online and look at clothes...that's just what I love to do. I don't think I discovered anything new here, to the left, because I've seen this Chanel dress on a few celebrities before, but that doesn't mean that I don't love it. Its so classic, the ruffled collar, the bow, the chiffon and silk, the satin belt and the satin bow tie...almost had a fashion orgasm...some of my other online finds below.

Some Manolo Blahnik peep toe, snake skin boots are to die for. I would so wear these...with dresses, a swim suit, anything. These shoes are oh so sexy. Lets see what else did I find....

What makes the below dress sexy is the variation in the color, as well as the neck line. I don't think wearing a v-neck or low cut dress all the time is sexy. The more mysterious you can be the sexier you are. This dress reminds me of being on vacation somewhere...but of course living in Los Angeles always feels like a vacation with our gorgeous weather. Could have gone swimming this weekend, the weather was so damn hot.

These are my fashion finds for the week, two classic yet sexy dresses and some sexy pumps. I could see myself owning all of these items. I'm just a fashion-a-holic...

Lakers' Andrew Bynum hopes to block out bigger role

Lakers' Andrew Bynum hopes to block out bigger role - From the Los Angeles Times

Lakers center, averaging only 9.9 points per game, vows to become more assertive in the low post.

By Broderick Turner
November 17, 2008

The basketball hasn't come Andrew Bynum's way much in the first eight games.


He would like for that to change some.

Mostly, Bynum wants to change his approach when he does get the ball down low.


He figures that as the center for the Lakers, he can be more productive if he is more assertive.


"I really haven't been attacking, so I'm going to start attacking on the block," Bynum said. "Over all the games, I really haven't scored much on the block play."

Bynum is fifth on the team in scoring, averaging 9.9 points per game. Last season, before he got injured, Bynum averaged 13.1 points.


He has been a presence on defense, averaging three blocks per game, second-best in the NBA.

But his offense has been coming slow. He's getting only 8.25 shots per game.


"I'm just not being aggressive," Bynum said. "I think I need to go out there and be aggressive and assert myself on the block. I don't think I've even scored with a post move yet this season."


Most of Bynum's offense has come on screen-and-roll plays and lob passes.

He wants to become more of a force inside.

"So, I'm going to try to attack the basket a little bit more," Bynum said.


Forgotten man

Two seasons ago, Luke Walton was the starting small forward, his future looking bright enough that the Lakers rewarded him with a six-year, $30-million contract.

Two years later, Walton has become the forgotten man in the Lakers' deep, talented rotation. He is playing 3.7 minutes per game, fewest on the team.

Walton averaged 23.4 minutes last season, appearing in 74 games, averaging 7.2 points.

Now, he can't get in the rotation, and that pains Coach Phil Jackson.

"Luke is the one guy I worry about a little bit because he's going to have to stay in shape without playing himself into shape by practicing himself there, because there are minutes that could be available," Jackson said.


Injury update

Derek Fisher didn't participate in part of Sunday's practice because of injured ribs he suffered during Friday night's game against the Detroit Pistons.
Fisher had issues breathing and turning during practice, but he is expected to play against the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night at Staples Center.

Vladimir Radmanovic suffered a left thigh contusion at the end of practice Sunday. His status is more uncertain.

If Radmanovic is not able to start Tuesday, Jackson said he is leaning toward starting Trevor Ariza at small forward.

Sasha Vujacic, who has a sprained right ankle, practiced Sunday.


Back to work

The Lakers were back at practice after having taken Saturday off.

They talked some about their defense -- or lack thereof -- in the 106-95 loss to the Pistons.

It was a day for conditioning, especially considering the Lakers will play five games in eight days starting Tuesday night.

"We got ourselves back in rhythm so we can shoot the ball," Jackson said.

The Lakers are making 44.2% of their field-goal attempts, something that is an issue for Jackson.

The coach said he does not have a theory on why the Lakers have shot the ball so poorly.

"No, I don't," Jackson said. "We talked a little bit about the rhythm of shots and comfort zone."

Turner is a Times staff writer. broderick.turner@latimes.com

The Story of Us

In the December issue of Essence, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith interview each other and discuss their relationship, their love for each other and how it has changed over the last 11 years. They are the most sincere, honest and real couple that is out there in Hollywood. Young couples can only hope to achieve what the two of them have, in terms of unconditional love and true respect for one another. Some of my favorite quotes from the article:

Jada: …When man and woman come together, it’s all about creation. That’s our purpose in being together. We’ve created love, we’ve created a family, we create power and unity. We’re constantly changing. I think people get into the concept of being constant in their relationships. That’s a huge mistake because things are going to change. It doesn’t matter if you’re going forward or backward, you’re going to be moving.

I thought about all the things that Will and Jada said to each other, and of course I asked my significant other some questions. We always have discussions about what we want from life, and how are we achieving our goals. We try to make sure that we can help each other achieve our greatness by supporting one another. Its one thing to talk about what you’re doing in your relationship, and it’s another thing to actually do it. I think a lot of couples just exist. They’re together and even though they may love each other, eventually they stop showing their love. Having discussions about where your relationship is, and where its going. Life is all about the next steps, and people shouldn’t think they’ve reached their limit, even in their relationship. Marriage is not the end all. Although your relationship status may be at the limit of classification, your love for one another can continue to grow stronger, and it should grow stronger.

Jada said that, “you’ve got to create what you want in a relationship.” So I asked my man, E, what he wants from a relationship, and he said happiness.

ER: I just want to be happy. I want both of us to be happy. I want things in our lives to run smooth.

JB : That is life though…things don’t always run smooth

ER: But I want them to. I want you to be happy all the time.

JB: But I’m happy in our relationship all the time

ER: I am too. Relationship wise I couldn’t ask for anything more. I want a house and more money though. Everyday I’m thankful for everything that we have. I never thought I would have all of this or you for that matter, or your heart. I’m so happy to have you and be with you.

JB: People have to be happy on their own.

ER: Yeah, people have to be happy with themselves first. If you can’t be happy with yourself, then you can’t be happy with someone else.

JB: Do you think that happiness is missing in other relationships? Like people being happy with themselves and loving themselves

ER: Yeah

JB: Do you think in the beginning of our relationship, we had all of this happiness?

ER: I would say yes. I would say it was harder, because you were just getting over a relationship. For me, I was happy with myself. I had just reached that point of happiness with myself, so when we met, it just continued to help me even more.

JB: I think in the beginning, because I was coming out of a relationship, an abusive one, and I was only 18, that I was definitely not happy with myself. I really didn’t become happy with my self until a few years ago. I used to hate myself, because of what I went through before you. And as a teenager you’re always insecure. You were 25 when we met, so you just got through that point that I’m coming up to now. I’ll be 25 next year.

But because I wasn’t happy with me, I was more insecure in the beginning of our relationship, and I was still learning who I was.

ER: Yes. I knew that. What do you really want from me and this relationship? Because I’m simple…I just want happiness

JB: Honestly, I don’t know what I want. I want you, and that’s all.

ER: You have me, so what else? You confuse me, because sometimes you want to get married, sometimes you don’t, sometimes you want a big wedding, sometimes you want to just run off and elope. What do you want?

JB: I don’t want you to feel like, you have to buy my love, or just concentrate on my feelings so much. I’m an emotional creature, and I’m very indecisive. My mind goes everywhere all the time.

ER: Yes this is true.

JB: So, why can’t you decide for us? Since it’s so simple.

ER: I can, but I want it to be what you want. I can just go to court and get married and be happy. To me its not a big deal, it’s for us.

JB: So, if we do that, then we have more money to spend on my ring.

ER: LOL! And how about the honeymoon!

JB: Yes, I want to go to Italy for a month. Rent a house and travel around the country. But, we’re not talking about marriage. We’re talking about our relationship. We already know what the next step is going to be. So what about your love for me? How has it changed?

ER: I don’t think it really has. It just got deeper, because I love you unconditionally. You try to make me angry sometimes, like when you want to pick a fight. And I don’t fight; I don’t get upset that easily with you.

JB: I pick fights because that is my nature.

ER: Well change it

JB: I don’t like where this conversation is going. You’re supposed to love me for me, picking fights and all. Can we get back on track now? So your love hasn’t changed for me?

ER: Like I said it’s gotten deeper and stronger, even though I fell in love instantly with you.

JB: My love for you was so strong in the beginning that I don’t know how much stronger it can get. Actually I’m scared what will happen if it gets any stronger. What do you think has kept us together for all these years? These difficult age years, not difficult as in you and me, but tough times in our age groups, with me in college, and you entering your late 20’s, most people are just finding themselves and not really in serious relationships. I feel like I had to grow up a lot faster than maybe I should have, but I’ve always been old for my age…it’s the only child syndrome, especially with a single parent.

ER: I think what made us last this long is our understanding of each other, and where we’re at. We discuss things, and talk about things. We try to be open and honest with each other. Neither one of us are afraid to tell our feelings to each other. We understand reality, as opposed to all that other bullshit. I think that helped us out. Including how much we care and love one another.

JB: I always think that other people’s relationships are strange, because it’s not ours. What do you think about that?

ER: It’s hard to understand other people’s relationships, when they fight and argue about stupid shit. They get jealous and worry about what the other one is doing all the time. Its like are they really worried about the other person, or are they just insecure about themselves? It’s not really because I’m older that I feel that way, because you feel that way to.

JB: So you’re saying we have unconditional trust too.

ER: Yeah. I’m just more concerned with you being safe; I’m not worried about you messing around with another guy. That happened to me before, and you know how I felt in those other relationships, and what I would do if you ever cheated. I told you from the beginning that you’re stuck with me for ever. You always get off for a crime of passion.

JB: That is terrible. Don’t say that you’ll kill me if I cheat on you. I would leave you if you cheated, but I don’t even want to think about it.

ER: I couldn’t even think about trying to cheat on you. It wouldn’t be an option. One, I’m not that type of person anyways, Two it’s too much work, I can’t hide and sneak around and worry about people calling me. All the stress, I’d give myself a heart attack. And then I wouldn’t be able to sleep, and I wouldn’t be able to look at you in the face. I can’t lie to you as it is.

JB: I can’t lie to you either, even when I try to keep things from you, I always tell you. I can’t keep a secret to save my life. I love you and what we have too much to cheat on you. It’s not worth it.

ER: No its not. We’ve been through too much to cheat now. And you keep me satisfied, so I don’t need anyone else.

JB: That’s right. What about the rumor of no sex after marriage? Do you think that is true?

ER: No, not for us.

JB: But we’re not married

ER: It better not happen

JB: I think we’re both addicted to sex with each other.

ER: I’m definitely addicted

JB: So how do you think our wedding would be? I just feel like the universe would explode on that day. Just because of our intense feelings for each other. I still get butterflies when you’re next to me. And I get so excited when you come from work, but I try to hide it sometimes, because I don’t want you to think I’m a dork.

ER: Well, I know you’re a dork. I still get excited when I come home or when you come home. For our wedding, no matter what we do, I think it will be the best day of our life.

JB: Sometimes, I get afraid of just letting go. You know how controlling I can be. What can you do to help me to relax and let go?

ER: I don’t know what I can do. You need to be relaxed and take it easy. You should just let it go. All the holding back should be gone by now

JB: But I like to control things

ER: You gotta let go sometime. If you don’t let go sometime, you’ll never experience the fullness of happiness and love

JB: I’ll work on it…it will be my New Year’s Resolution. So far I’ve held up to my other one. To love myself more

ER: Yes you have. And I can tell the difference

JB: Oh yeah, how?

ER: Just in your attitude, not anything negative. Just your attitude at work and when you’re out.

JB: What is your advice, now that it’s been 6 years, for other couples who are just starting out?

ER: Just to be honest with themselves and with each other. If it’s not working, you might as well not be in it. If you’re just in a relationship to be in it, you might as well not waste your time. You also need trust. You have to trust one another. If I didn’t trust you I would go crazy. People are afraid to walk away, just because they want to stay in a relationship. If you really didn’t love me or care for me, then we wouldn’t be here. I’m too old for that; you might as well be by yourself. People need to listen to their hearts.

JB: I totally agree with you. There are way too many people that get trapped in a relationship that has no love, just comfort. That is why the divorce rate is so damn high. I think that is my main problem with marriage. It’s all the people that get married, just because. Just because it’s the thing to do.

ER: And that is why we’re not in a rush. To me, the whole wedding thing is a show. We know how much we love each other.

JB: You’re talking about the wedding, I’m talking about what happens afterwards

ER: But people get married for the show, the wedding, not for one another. That is where the problem is.

JB: My advice is to take time and get to know yourself first. Think about you first before you can worry about any one else. You have to be able to love yourself…all of yourself first. I can’t stress that enough.

Read the Essence article of Will and Jada interviewing each other….its good!

Los Angeles Lakers' first loss of the season

I almost cried last night, when the Lakers lost to the Pistons 106-95. I can't believe they lost...but what upset me more was the fact that I missed the damn game. Shit! I missed everything. I know that the East Coast teams play much more aggressively than the West Coast ones, but I would have loved to watch the game. Instead, I spent the evening shopping...damn! By the time I caught the game at the bar, they were down by 12 at the end of the 3rd quarter. I don't know what it is with the Lakers and the East Coast teams but they can never seem to get their defense up. Instead they get defeated so easily. Plus, the Pistons have A.I. now...and I used to L-O-V-E him! Especially when he was running thangs with the 76ers... But now he's trying it out with Detroit after they traded with Billups on the Nuggets.


So, since I didn't get to watch the game, I have to watch the highlights to see how poorly they played. And I can read about what happened on the Lakers running diary...you can too...however its not my words so it may not be as exciting ;) F.Y.I. I'm starting a fantasy Basket Ball Team next season...and I'm dying to go see the Celtics vs. Lakers on X-mas day...but I don't think my grandma would appreciate it.

Lakers - Pistons Running Diary

Published by Mike Trudell on November 14, 2008 in In-Game and Running Diary

In tonight’s matchup between the new-look (translation: A.I.) Detroit Pistons and the Lakers, five players remain from the 2004 NBA Finals won by the team from Motown. Can you name ‘em?

Kobe, Luke Walton, Rasheed Wallace, Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince. Even with Kobe, we’ll give the Pistons a slight edge there due to numbers.

But which of the rest do we like?

A) Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher, Jordan Farmar, Trevor Ariza, Sasha Vujacic … etc
B) Allen Iverson, Jason Maxiell, Rodney Stuckey, Arron Afflalo, Will Bynum, Kwame Brown

Gonna go with B on that one.

Wait, can I take that back? I’m never betting against Kobe, especially when he needs just three points to pass Larry Bird on the all-time scoring list.

Your ever-important inactives:
Lakers - DJ Mbenga, Sun Yue
Pistons - Walter Sharpe

And your starters:
Lakers: Fish, Kobe, Vladi, Pau and Bynum
Pistons: AI, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace and Kwame Brown

First Quarter
Slow down, Detroit … The Pistons were unconscious to start the game, making six consecutive jumpers to claim a 12-2 lead before Bryant and Gasol combined for five straight points. Though allowing some good looks on those six Pistons Js, L.A.’s defense re-organized well in shutting down five straight possessions, highlighted by a swat from Bynum, the NBA’s second-leading shot blocker. Yet it was on the offensive glass that Bynum made an even bigger impression, grabbing three boards on that end that helped push L.A. to within three at 12-9 after Bynum showed his sticky fingers in catching a tough lob pass from Bryant and immediately laying it off glass to cap a 7-0 run at the 5:48 mark.

Bryant Passes Bird
The run increased to 12-0 thanks to two big slams from Bryant, the first of which gave him 21,791 points to tie Bird, and the second (which, by the way, came when he was approximately 56 feet in the air to throw down a one-handed alley-oop) that put him at No. 23 on the all-time scoring list. Congrats, Kobe, even though you’re probably happier that the game turned from 2-12 to 14-12 in a manner of minutes.

Radmanovic is struggling with his shot right now, missing his third straight attempt from mid-range, and was pulled from the game along with Gasol and Fisher in favor of Odom, Farmar and Ariza. Most notable with Jackson’s substitution, however, was the huge roar from the crowd when the subs checked in. Clearly, it’s a knowledgeable fan base that can appreciate how well L.A.’s second unit has been playing this season.

So, to start the game you have a 10-0 run by the Pistons, a 12-0 run by the Lakers, and then … guess what … an 11-4 Pistons run to close the quarter. The final four points came on two pretty Iverson buckets, the first a pull-back J from the baseline and the second a supremely athletic floater from the lane to beat the buzzer and give Detroit a 23-16 edge.

Second Quarter
Is somebody giving the Lakers salary bumps for taking contested perimeter jumpers? The offense was the opposite of Justin Timberlake and Lance Bass’ group to start the second quarter, allowing Detroit to go up by 12 before Farmar and Ariza hit consecutive shots at the rim to make it 28-20 Pistons. The defense, meanwhile, seemed content to let Wallace launch three uncontested threes from the top of the key, the final of which gave Detroit a 33-20 lead before Gasol’s baseline baby hook.

Here’s one problem: the Lakers are still struggling to hit shots, as in 7-for-22 (31.8 percent). Oucch! The Pistons, meanwhile, nailed an impressive 11-of-19 in the first, and that was before two more Wallace threes and two Stuckey hoops at the rim. Also, to refer back to the pregame entry on this blog, Detroit has certainly had success with that small lineup I was curious to see before the game. The Pistons simply spread the Lakers out defensively, and moved the ball until getting a good look, not even attempting to penetrate the defense with Stuckey’s drives being the notable exceptions. Jackson countered with a small lineup of Gasol at the four and Ariza at the three, though it didn’t help much as Arron Afflalo canned a jumper and Jason Maxiell followed a Stuckey miss with a two-handed slam to make it 45-34 Pistons with 5:46 remaining in the half.

To that point, I think it was fair to say that L.A.’s second unit got outplayed, and maybe for the first time this season.

Except for Ariza. First came a pretty steal in transition leading to a Bryant hoop, then a put-back jam on Gasol miss to cut the lead back to seven. Ariza is the rare player that almost literally contributes in every statistical category, but also does the little things. Plus, it’s hard to remember the last time he made a stupid play. I’ll now stop giving him compliments … it’s starting to get weird.

About 30 seconds later … Ariza threw the ball right to Iverson. That’s on me. At least he hustled back, contested a shot and sealed a rebound. That makes me feel less responsible. At the other end, Bryant drew a foul and converted to make the score 49-40, though Bryant does seem content to shoot jumpers right now instead of attacking the rim, other than those two early dunks.

For Detroit, Prince seemed content to shoot jumpers as well, until getting all the way to the rim after a Bryant turnover for his 11th point, joining AI and Wallace in double figures for Detroit. Kobe did manage the half’s last bucket, but the Lakers hit only 41 percent of their shots while Detroit was good on nearly 60 percent (56.1) to take a 53-44 lead into the break.

“Unexpected” is probably a fair adjective in describing L.A.’s nine-point deficit in terms of what one might have predicted heading into the contest. Yet after watching the action, L.A.’s probably lucky to be within single digits. After all, the Lakers were stagnant on offense, unable to adjust defensively to a small Pistons lineup and generally listless from an effort perspective. Yet to a degree, you have to give Detroit credit for nailing almost each one of its open looks, which is something the Hornets failed to do at home on Wednesday, and Dallas couldn’t do Tuesday against L.A.

In that game against the Mavs, the Lakers trailed by six at halftime after struggling offensively for much of the first half, but came back to dominate the second half 52-39 in taking the victory. There’s that, plus the fact that the Lakers have gone on at least one big run in each game this season. Even against a Pistons team that’s playing quite well, it’s fair to expect a purple and gold charge in the second half. You have to think the Lakers will buckle down defensively and start playing with more purpose offensively, though Iverson, Wallace and Co. have yet to show any wear in their legs from Tuesday night’s contest.

By the way, after sticking four threes and scoring 18 points on Wednesday, Fisher was 0-for-7 in the first half without an assist, while Bryant was just 5-of-13 and Vladi 0-of-3. Odom (3-of-3), Gasol (4-of-6) and Ariza (3-for-5) shot well. L.A. committed eight turnovers (pretty good) but hit only one three, to four from the Pistons.

Third Quarter
If the Lakers can come out with a nice run, we’ll be able to see pretty quickly if the Pistons have the energy to match it. That’s for what I’ll be looking early, anyways.

The first sniff of positivity from the Lakers faithful came understandable after Bryant undressed Prince with a crossover dribble, cut to the hoop and threw down a left-handed jam to cut the Detroit lead to five. Moments earlier, Fisher had connected on consecutive jumpers, a good sign after the veterans first half struggles.

But the Pistons showed some veteran mettle of their own by answering with a Prince jumper and free throws to push the lead right back to nine. So, L.A.’s first punch was answered with a body shot. Watch out for the next swing…

At the 4:45 mark, the first sign of other-worldly intervention filtered into the arena when ‘Sheed threw up a prayer three, and the backboard answered his call to put Detroit up by 12, and that with one second left on the shot clock after a pretty Bynum swat.

By the 1:49 point of the third, Detroit called a time out while holding the basketball and that same 12-point lead, and the crowd was probably as quiet as I’ve heard this season. But the general NBA rule is that you want to be within 10 entering the fourth quarter … so come on, it’s not like you’re Paris Hilton and Saks 5th isn’t accepting American Express Black cards due to a technical disruption. At the same time, what’s not good for the Lakers is that they’ve allowed a veteran team to stay in a ballgame towards which they now only have to give 12 minutes, eliminating any chance of a mental allowance from the Pistons that might have occurred with better early play from L.A.

Wait a second, Paris, the machine really isn’t working. Uh oh. With 18 seconds remaining in the third, Arron Afflalo followed a Hamilton layup with a corner three that gave Detroit a 15-point lead heading into the final period. The game’s long from over, but that five-point swing was exactly what the Lakers needed to prevent.

Fourth Quarter
An even worse omen to the evening came when Kwame Brown not only made both free throws to open the quarter, but banked the first one in. One of those nights? Too many perimeter jumpers, poor defensive rotations and some bad luck combined to dig a hole out of which the Lakers will have trouble climbing, but I wouldn’t count ‘em out just yet.

The lineup at the beginning of the period: Bynum, Odom, Vujacic, Bryant and Farmar. I like that Sasha’s in the game here, because he’s probably been the fieriest of Lakers tonight, and L.A. certainly needs some fire.

On cue, Vujacic hassled Stuckey into a jump ball on a routine inbounds play, and though he lost the tip, grabbed a defensive board at the other end (even as he turned his ankle) which led to two Bynum free throws and an 83-71 score with 7:20 to go. That ankle tweak, however, was his right ankle, good news only because the one that he’d hurt in training camp was his left.

The game’s most influential sequence to that point came when Bynum missed a dunk opportunity from Bryant (the timing was juuuust off) and Prince nailed a three at the other end, making what would have been an 11-point game into a 16-point Pistons lead with 6:40 to go.

Bryant then missed consecutive jumpers, Wallace converted two free throws with 5:30 left and Hamilton hit two from the stripe after a frustrated Odom reaching foul to make the climb back just a bit less daunting than a staring contest with Jack.

Kobe, who had made only 7-of-23 shots to start the game, quickly scored eight points* (including two triples) and swatted rip Hamilton to bring L.A. within 14 with 3:00 to go, but Detroit came right back in transition with a Wallace dunk that proved the final nail in L.A.’s coffin.
That moved Bryant past Gary Payton for 22nd on the NBA’s all-time scoring charts, after he passed Larry Bird earlier in the game.

So after 18 days of relative bliss around Los Angeles, the Lakers finally dropped a game, and fell to 7-1 on the season. They’ll have a long weekend to think about the loss before the Bulls come to town on Tuesday, which probably isn’t great news for Chicago.

Stay tuned for postgame coverage on Lakers.com, and have a good one.

NBA Season Standings - Lakers are still # 1 in the West and those damn Celtics are # 1 in the East...Fuck em'

2008-2009 Conference Regular Season Standings
Eastern Conference
Eastern	W	L	PCT	GB	CONF	DIV	HOME	ROAD	L 10	STREAK
Boston1	8	2	0.800	0.0	6-1	1-0	5-1	3-1	8-2	L 1
Cleveland2	7	2	0.778	0.5	5-1	4-0	5-0	2-2	7-2	W 6
Atlanta3	6	2	0.750	1.0	4-2	1-0	2-0	4-2	6-2	L 2
Detroit4	7	2	0.778	0.5	4-2	1-0	2-1	5-1	7-2	W 3
Orlando5	6	3	0.667	1.5	3-1	1-1	4-2	2-1	6-3	W 2
New York6	6	3	0.667	1.5	3-2	0-1	4-1	2-2	6-3	W 2
Miami7	5	4	0.556	2.5	3-2	1-1	4-1	1-3	5-4	W 1
Toronto8	4	4	0.500	3.0	3-4	1-2	1-2	3-2	4-4	L 2
Indiana	4	4	0.500	3.0	3-3	0-2	3-2	1-2	4-4	L 1
Milwaukee	5	5	0.500	3.0	2-4	0-2	2-2	3-3	5-5	W 2
Philadelphia	4	5	0.444	3.5	3-4	2-1	2-2	2-3	4-5	W 2
Chicago	4	5	0.444	3.5	1-5	1-2	4-2	0-3	4-5	W 1
New Jersey	3	5	0.375	4.0	3-3	0-0	2-3	1-2	3-5	W 1
Charlotte	3	5	0.375	4.0	1-4	1-0	3-3	0-2	3-5	W 1
Washington	1	6	0.143	5.5	0-6	0-2	1-2	0-4	1-6	L 1
Western Conference
Western	W	L	PCT	GB	CONF	DIV	HOME	ROAD	L 10	STREAK
L.A. Lakers1	7	1	0.875	0.0	7-0	2-0	3-1	4-0	7-1	L 1
Utah2	6	3	0.667	1.5	5-0	3-0	4-0	2-3	6-3	L 2
New Orleans3	5	3	0.625	2.0	3-1	0-0	3-2	2-1	5-3	W 1
Phoenix4	7	3	0.700	1.0	4-2	1-0	2-2	5-1	7-3	W 1
Portland5	5	4	0.556	2.5	3-4	1-1	3-0	2-4	5-4	L 1
Houston6	5	4	0.556	2.5	5-3	2-1	2-1	3-3	5-4	L 1
Denver7	5	4	0.556	2.5	3-3	0-1	2-1	3-3	5-4	W 1
Sacramento8	4	6	0.400	4.0	4-2	2-1	3-2	1-4	4-6	L 1
San Antonio	3	5	0.375	4.0	2-3	1-1	2-3	1-2	3-5	W 1
Golden State	3	6	0.333	4.5	2-4	0-1	2-3	1-3	3-6	L 1
Memphis	3	7	0.300	5.0	2-4	0-1	2-2	1-5	3-7	L 4
Dallas	2	7	0.222	5.5	2-4	1-1	0-4	2-3	2-7	L 5
Minnesota	1	6	0.143	5.5	1-6	0-2	1-2	0-4	1-6	L 6
L.A. Clippers	1	7	0.125	6.0	1-7	0-3	1-5	0-2	1-7	L 1
Oklahoma City	1	8	0.111	6.5	1-2	1-1	1-4	0-4	1-8	L 6