Posted on Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Retrospect: 2015 in Posts…

Hello World,

In just one measly day (although a lot can happen in a day), 2015 will be a part of our past, and 2016 will be our present and future! I don’t know about you, but it is only when I truly contemplate all the days of the year from January through December that I realize that so much has been packed into 365 days! This year has been a momentous one for my humble corner of the World Wide Web that I affectionately refer to as After the Altar Call. If you please, let’s take a retrospective look at what God has done here!

January 2015 – I always bring in the New Year in church because it is where I get guidance for the year! During this year’s Watch Night Service, the pastor focused on Hebrews 13: 5-6. Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. I wasn’t sure what these verses meant for me which you can read about in “Two Signs Your New Year May Not Be Off to the Best Start…”But now that the year is nearly over, I do understand what God is saying to me through those verses. Here are some of my insights for me: 1. Don’t be jealous of other people and what they have going on because the Lord controls your destiny as He does for everyone else. He has placed you where you are supposed to be and rejoice for that! 2. So much emphasis is placed on networking and building the right relationships. While those skills are important, the most powerful relationship you can have is the one you have with Jesus because He can open doors that no one can shut!

February 2015 – I’ve always wanted to attend a celebrity awards show so this year I decided to do just that. Although I attended the 23rd Annual Trumpet Awards Ceremony in January, I didn’t write my post “My Red Carpet Coverage of the 2015 Trumpet Awards/Watch It on TV One THIS Saturday…”until February when the show aired on TV One. And not only did I attend, I decided to be red carpet ready as well! There I am on the red carpet!

March 2015 – I was blessed to interview Atlanta’s First Black Lady Ms. Bunnie Jackson-Ransom, president and CEO of firstClass, Inc., a full-service public relations and marketing firm, about her book Getting The Word Out: How To Market Your Ministry: Communication Tools & Tactics You Need For Evangelism in “Atlanta’s First Black First Lady Pens New Church for Churches…”

April 2015 – I started recapping Mary Mary’s reality show in March, but I did the majority of my recaps in April. Here is one of my favorite recaps of the show -“Is Tina Testifying Too Much? : Mary Mary Season 4, Episode 5 Recap…”

May 2015 – When I began recapping Mary Mary’s reality show in March, I had no idea that I would be able to interview Tina Campbell, and what an interview it was! Check out “Mitchell Solarek is NOT Tina Campbell’s Manager & More: My Interview With Mary Mary’s Tina Campbell!”

June 2015 – This month was HUGE for this blog as I relaunched it as I decided to mainly focus on “blogging the cross section of faith, relationships and pop culture!” (Yes, that is my new tagline 🙂 See above!) I took head shots for the blog, rewrote my bio and updated my theme ! I’ve always wanted to be a celebrity/lifestyle journalist (from a faith perspective which came later) so I hired myself 🙂 ) My first post once I relaunched my blog was “Tamela Mann Shares About ‘The Gospel Tradition: In Performance At The White House’ & More: MY INTERVIEW…”

July 2015 – So when I was in college, I used to bump (that means play) certain artists and groups on Boombox and my Walkman (Wow, that was back in the day) in my door room and out and about over and over again. One of those groups was SWV (Sisters With Voices)! That is why I was so excited to interview Coko of SWV in the blog post “SWV’s Coko Talks About Her New Radio Show, Girl Group & How She & Her Hubby Maintain Their Weight Loss.”

August 2015 – It is always encouraging to see other authors do well because being a writer in today’s times can be very discouraging! This month best-selling author ReShonda Tate Billingsley realized a dream come true as her book “Let The Church Say Amen” became a BET movie, which I live tweeted! Check out my interview with her about how her book became a movie in The Making of the BET Movie & ReShonda Tate Billingsley’s “Let The Church Say Amen!”

September 2015 – As I said, I love my celebrities, but I have special love for Christian celebrities! It was definitely one of the highlights of the year to be able to interview David Oyelowo about his movie “Captive.” Check out the interview in “Actor David Oyelowo Captures Brian Nichols in Hostage Crisis Movie ‘Captive’: My Interview (With Audio).” His repertoire is very impressive as he has been in “Selma” as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “The Butler” and “The Help!”

October 2015 – My new interview series “Resilience & the Bible” was launched this month. In this interview series, I hope to demonstrate how Scriptures can be used to bounce back from the trials we all have to go through from time to time. My first interview as “Resilience & the Bible: How to Use Scriptures to Bounce Back From – Rebellious Teenagers.”

November 2015 – My favorite post of this month was “How Do You Deal With Beggars on the Street Asking for Money?” Honestly, I’m still dealing with this issue. Pray for me…

December 2015 – It was a blessing to write this post “Interdenominational Theological Center Triumphant After Accreditation Scare, Honors Civil Rights Icons at Global Transformers Gala (PHOTOS included).”

Other highlights of 2015: Being featured on The Atlanta Journal Constitution website – ajc.com and becoming a blogger for BibleGateway!

God has truly blessed this blog! May 2016 be a blessing to you! God bless you…

Any thoughts?

Posted on Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Engagement Enigma: ‘Born Again Virgin’ Season 2 Episode 2 Recap…

Hello World,

I was wondering when the BAV writers were going to address that Tara got engaged in the season 1 finale of “Born Again Virgin” and they did in last night’s episode. If you don’t remember all of the details of Tara’s engagement, please see “Crushin’ & Cussin’: ‘Born Again Virgin’ Season 1 Episode 8 & 9 (the Season Finale!) Recaps.” Well, in the true “over-the-topness” that we’ve come to love in Tara, she is “turnt” about planning her engagement party. The only problem is that Enrique, the man to which she is affianced, is mysteriously missing from her plans – hence my title “Engagement Enigma.” (Y’all like that, right?). Exhibit A: Tara gives invitations to Jenna and Kelly, whom she asks to be her maids of honor (also known as “indentured servants in pretty dresses” per Kelly) to mail, but her fiancé’s name is nowhere on the invitation…No bueno para Enrique…

But working as “indentured servants in pretty dresses” is not the only thing that Jenna & Kelly worry about in this episode. Since Kelly quit her job last season (again, see my recap above for the details), Jenna must share her “work space” (basically, the kitchen) with Kelly. While Kelly is accustomed to a more professional environment, Jenna has a “process” she must go through before she starts her work day. This “process” includes dancing in the kitchen to Kelly’s irritation. As a writer, I get the “process.” (The “process” is comprised of the habits, behaviors, etc. that you do to coax your creativity to come out and play so to speak. My process includes a cup of tea, rocking back and forth in my chair like I’m an idiot and 10-minute naps…don’t ask me why this works, but it does…) Anywho, Jenna and Kelly argue about working out their mutual work space so that it works for both of them…

Despite their differences, Jenna and Kelly are united in their desire to meet Enrique, since Tara has yet to introduce him to them. She finally brings him over, but after meeting him, they are more puzzled than ever. First of all, Tara knows more about planning engagement parties than she does about Enrique. For example, she thinks he is from Spain when he is from Puerto Rico (I love Old San Juan by the way.). He went to Columbia University not NYU as Tara thought. And he speaks French in addition to Spanish and English. Jenna suggests that Tara read an article titled “Am I Marrying the Man or the Ring?” but Tara is too busy planning her engagement party to focus on minor details. She announces that she has booked Chef Roblé to cater the party even she though used to “hook up” with the chef, the engagement party will be held at the Atlanta Botanical Garden and she will be arriving in a helicopter sans Enrique. When Jenna continues to try to confront Tara about focusing on the engagement sans Enrique, she accuses her of being mad that she got engaged without having to give up sex. Ouch.

Meanwhile Kelly has taken “work from home” to another level as she hires an assistant Morgan who shows up in their kitchen one morning. Now, when Jenna wants to speak with Kelly, she must make an appointment through Morgan which is obviously ridiculous. This takes their tiff over the top! Tara, on the other hand, is forced to turn down a lil bit when she discovers the botanical garden is booked and that she has been banned from the establishment! She finally decides to get Enrique’s input about the party. To her surprise, he suggests they skip the engagement party altogether and just tie the knot. Now, Tara is confused. For all of her excitement about being engaged (AND she has been engaged eight times before), she has no actual experience with being married…She realizes she is committed to being engaged but marriage is a different commitment altogether…LOL…A good thing to know before getting married…More to be revealed in future BAV episodes obviously…

Kelly and Jenna demonstrate their commitment to their friendship when they finally work out their work arrangement. Kelly admits she is “freaking out” now that she has quit her job and is trying to build a company, and Jenna, who is still trying to build her blog readership (I know all about that), understands the struggle…

So what did you think of this episode?

Any thoughts?

Posted on Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Future Shock: ‘Born Again Virgin’ Season 2 Episode 1 Recap (It’s BACK!!!)

Hello World,

“Born Again Virgin” AND my recaps are back!!! (Both are reasons to celebrate in my opinion 🙂 ) This episode is called “Home Sweet Old Folks Home” as Jenna, Kelly and Tara visit a senior center to help Kelly’s Aunt Maxine, who is turning 100, celebrate her milestone birthday. However, I also think this episode could be called “Future Shock” because the ladies meet women who could be older versions of themselves and it shocks them into taking action! The first shock of the visit happens when Kelly discovers that Rick’s mother is working there. For those who may not know or remember, Rick is Kelly’s secret sensation. She loves him but decides she has to break off their relationship because Rick lives with his mother and owes $200 to her. Yes, he’s that dude: the boy who hasn’t quite figured out how to become a man.

While Kelly sets up the party for her favorite aunt in a community room called the Boom Boom room (although Rick’s mother says the room’s name is a misnomer since the seniors prefer sneaking to a stairwell to have sex. Yes…apparently, sex still happens in senior centers!!!), Tara wanders off into another room where she sees Gigi Halston, an actress who lives at the senior center. Tara recognizes Ms. Gigi from a laxative commercial and is intrigued as the advanced age actress is entertaining some of the seniors with her singing.

Jenna encounters a woman named Eloise who is reading Zora Neale Huston’s classic “Their Eyes Were Watching God.” Eloise, who is inspired by Teacake and Janie’s love, starts to tell her own love story to Jenna, who is wondering when her love will come along. (Earlier in the episode, she reveals she is looking for a man who has the character of President Obama, the humor of Kevin Hart and the soul of Bruno Mars!) Ms. Eloise, who looks to be a stately senior, surprises Jenna when she reveals that the love of her life was her lover on the side! Ms. Eloise was an adulteress who had an affair with a plumber named David. It was a winding story as David had a jail stint.

Meanwhile back at Aunt Maxine’s party, Rick shows up to Kelly’s surprise. He brings a cross heirloom piece to the birthday girl and charms all of her friends. In his conversation with the seniors, he reveals that he actually has a job as a manager at a sub shop AND he has a classic car, a Trans Am. One of the more spirited seniors says she got pregnant in a Trans Am back in the day. Kelly is starting to see that if her life continues as it has been, she may end up alone in a senior center herself. She also realizes that Rick is becoming more responsible even if for the time being, he still lives with his mother. “Baby steps,” his mother says to her, to describe Rick’s progress. She sneaks Rick into the stairwell for some senior center action and decides she will give him a second chance.

As Kelly and Rick get reacquainted, Ms. Gigi, who has unabashedly appeared in 78 Blaxploitation films, challenges Tara to take charge of her career and asks if she can sing and dance. After Tara tells Ms. Gigi that singing and dancing are not a part of her repertoire, Ms. Gigi challenges her to perform a monologue. Ms. Gigi performs “Desdamona” from “Othello” while Tara takes her on with “The Message” from Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five! Hilarious! By the end of the impromptu senior center showcase, Tara realizes that she has a ways to go to be a true thespian like Ms. Gigi.

Jenna was about to hear the end of Ms. Eloise’s story when the ladies have to be leave the senior center in a hurry after Rick gets into a fight while playing dice with one of the seniors. Apparently, one of the seniors presses the panic button and Rick’s mother tells them they have to leave before they are reprimanded for Rick’s shenanigans. So days later, Jenna returns to the senior center to visit Ms. Eloise and find out what happened to Ms. Eloise and David. However, she is shocked to discover that Ms. Eloise has since made her transition, but Rick’s mother tells her that Ms. Eloise did leave something that may comfort Jenna as she grieves her loss. She brings out Ms. Eloise’s son David Jr., who is the love child of Ms. Eloise and David Sr. and is at the senior center to get this mother’s things. David Jr. offers to tell Jenna the end of the story over lunch…

It’s true that wisdom is best acquired by age, and if you want to peak into the future, a senior center is a good place to start looking.

Any thoughts?