John Edwards speaks after jury verdict (Chuck Burton/ Associated Press via Hamptonroads.com ) John Edwards speaks after his trial , where he was found not guilty on count 3 and the jury hung on all other charges. He said that he applauds the jury for being exemplary.  He said he did not feel that he did anything wrong as far as the trial and criminal charges, but his sins are his own.  When he looks in the mirror, he sees his sins. Edward says he is accountable for his sins, and that he "did an awful, awful lot that was wrong." He wanted to thank his dad, who just turned 80 and mom who came up every day to Greensboro for the trial, from Robbins, SC. Edwards spoke of all of his children and how his eldest, Kate, sat with him and loved him through all the awful and painful things he had done, and awful and painful things she had to hear about him and her mother throughout the trial.  He also spoke of his other children, fourteen year old daughter, twelve year old son,

6-13-12 UPDATE  Per CNN, John Edwards will not be retried. Keep reading for the original story...

I stopped by the Morning Maddhouse today, with a friend who coaches basketball.  He was up there to promote the youth basketball camp at JCSU . While we waited, I sat with a lady who has a really dope program for kids called PIMOSH .  You'll have to check out their site to see how they turn academics into fun and entertainment for the youngins. She and I chatted afterwards, and I taped an impromptu video about education.  Let me just tell you... I WAS NOT PREPARED! LOL. Meanwhile, @BettieGrind  "Mr. Famous" was at the studio also talking about the shoe giveaway he has coming up for folks in need. Peep his website for an image of the dope shoes he had on today. ( I'm a closet sneaker fiend...though they reside in my closet right by my wedges and high high heels .)  I hope to have him on blog in What He Said soon.  Bettie Grind's manager, Fresh ( that ain't what ya mama named you...lol ) and I plan to set that up. Mr. Famous , his latest video, just a

THE PICKING ORDER FOR THE UPCOMING NBA DRAFT!!! 14th Pick goes to the Houston Rockets 13th Pick will be made by Phoenix Suns 12th Pick belongs to the Milwaukee Bucks 11th Pick is the Portland Trailblazers 10th Pick goes to the New Orleans Hornets 9th  Pick is the Detroit Pistons 8th  Pick goes to the Toronto Raptors 7th  Pick is the Golden State Warriors 6th  Pick belongs to the Brooklyn Nets (goes to Portland with Gerald Wallace deal) 5th  Pick goes to Sacramento Kings 4th Pick goes to Cleveland Cavaliers 3rd Pick goes to Washington Wizzards 2nd Pick goes to Charlotte Bobcats NUMBER 1 PICK GOES TO NEW ORLEANS HORNETS!!! Hmmmm was it rigged? O_D The NBA Draft is on  Thursday ,  June 28, 2012 . 2012  Mock Draft |  NBADraft .net

Design History maxi dress bluefly.com It's summer time already in NC, although the official start of summer is about a month away. You know when it gets hot, clothes get lighter and waistlines slimmer...hopefully anyway. One staple item in my wardrobe is a maxi dress.  I have a few of them, in various colors and patterns. The avocado green one by Design History on the left is the latest. I am a for sucker maxi dresses for several reasons. I can wear them in various seasons. I can dress them up and down, depending on the occasion. And men really like maxi dresses on women, as they delicately hit your curves. Maxi dresses go from casual to darn near couture with the right accessories and proper design. Not to mention the fabric on this one is appropriate for layering or not. The best thing about maxi dresses, in my opinion, is you can usually find a great deal on them at a discount retail store.  This one retails at 120.00. Bluefly.com had it on sale for 75.99.  Wa

Sweet potato from Wendy's Smoothie from me courtesy of my magic bullet. Magic Bullet Hi-Speed Blender / Mixer System Fast food is getting less greasy and more healthy these days.  Take Wendy's for example. They are offering sweet potatoes as a sides selection on their menu. Apparently, sweet potatoes pack one heck of a health punch.  Check out what World Healthiest Foods says about the benefits of sweet potatoes: It's important to have some fat in your sweet potato-containing meals if you want to enjoy the full beta-carotene benefits of this root vegetable. Recent research has shown that a minimum of 3-5 grams of fat per meal significantly increases our uptake of beta-carotene from sweet potatoes. Of course, this minimal amount of fat can be very easy to include. In our Healthy Mashed Sweet Potatoes recipe, for example, we include 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, and with just this one tablespoon, each of our 4 servings for this delicious recipe pro

So this lovely young lady, Laverne Everett decided that she would go skydiving for her 80th birthday. I saw this the other night, but just found the video.   Okay, let me tell you, I will only jump out of a plane if it is my only route to escape... And I want three backup parachutes... So yeah, skydiving is definitely not on my bucket list.  Though, I do have friends who have gone skydiving.  Anyway, notice how the guy tandem jumping with her, pries her fingers from the door.  Isn't that a sign that she changed her mind?!  Then she starts slipping!!!   I would have completely lost my mind.  But this granny said her next bucket list item is to ride in a race car! Well, come on down to Charlotte and have the Nascar experience, Miss Laverne!  What's on your bucket list?

Wanetta Gibson photo: blacksportsonline Wanetta Gibson was a sophomore, when she met up with Brian Banks, a junior star linebacker, in a stairwell at Long Beach Polytechnic High. They stood in the stairwell making out, and then went their separate ways. That make out session led to an accusation of rape. Watch the video to see Brian tell what happened to him after their make out session. Then you will see the undercover video of Wanetta, ten years later, saying a rape never occurred. Wanetta Gibson reached out to Banks on Facebook, of all places, wanting to "let bygones be bygones".  He set up a meeting with her to be secretly recorded, confessing that a rape never happened.  She met him, but refused to go to court, and didn't even give him the courtesy of an apology. We now know that Brian went to prison off of, what I consider, poor legal advice.  His attorney allegedly told him he would be perceived negatively because he was a big black guy,

Dennis Rodman said that he is not known for anything good. Despite the fact that he's an NBA champion and hall of fame basketball player.  Despite the fact that he's known throughout the world and has drawn people to him. He was on ESPN speaking about his life and how the persona he created gave him fame and work.  He claims no one wanted to hire him when he was sober. Rodman was shy and quiet growing up, from what I've read and heard. He was even kinda cool and quiet when he played for the Bad Boys aka the Pistons. But somewhere in the 90s he became a darn lunatic on wheels. From cross dressing to piercings, to run-ins with the law. He was out (of the asylum) and proud! Who created the monster? Was it his father who abandoned him when he was five? The NBA that put him on a stage that he was not prepared for?  The world that treated him like a spectacle? Or his own self-destructive actions? When he was inducted into the Hall of Fame, he said his only regret was th

Man, keep your eyes in your head! LOL Photo from singlemindedwomen.com One of my friends from law school is in my city working, so I went Uptown to catch up with her. We of course chatted about work, life, and men! As we walked around Uptown, there was a street festival going on for Nascar, Speed Street. When we passed a couple...the guy did the UNTHINKABLE ... He completely swiveled his head and gazed longingly in my homegirl's direction. PAUSE II   All of a sudden, this song started playing in my head... Have you ever been out, minding your own business, only to become the object of a man's ogling?  Meanwhile his lady walks by his side completely oblivious. What do you do? How do you react? Do you: A. Look at him with venom and disgust? (That's what my homegirl did.) B. Laugh and shake your head?  C. Flirt with him? D. A combination of A and B? My answer is typically D.  I have gone so far to say "you know you aren't right". Most

Lebron should be the poster boy for the NBA. Photo from hoopedia.nba.com  After Game 2 of the Heat-Pacers series , the sports world went wild about the Heat's poor play. "Why did Lebron miss two free throws?" "Why didn't Lebron take the final shot?"  In that game Lebron was just a tad under 50% shooting, and led the team in scoring. Fast forward to Game 3, the Heat got blown out. D-Wade had 5 points with 5 turnovers to match. Lebron was the second highest scorer, the only other starter who even scored in double digits was Mario Chalmers. Both Battier and Pittman laid goose eggs!  Yet the media, and old fat guys who never played any sport in their lives, found a way to blame Lebron, and excuse D-Wade. Stat sheet from Game 3 of the Heat-Pacers series Screen shot from ESPN.com Lebron beasts in Game 4, and the pundits say "that's what he is supposed to do."  D-Wade beasts in Game 6, and they want to have a ticker tape parade.  ??? N

Printscreen from Larry Brown Sports I just had to see these hot pink pants D-Wade spoke about in the post game interview. Not exactly what I expected. Nor am I sure how I feel about a man wearing hot pink pants with matching shoes. O_D But if he likes it...I guess. Now fellas, if your girl would wear those pants and shoes...ummm...leave them to her... Don't do it! LOL I guarantee you there are some ladies who would rock D-Wade's hot pink pants and matching sneakers. 

Printscreen from ESPN.com Remember that game where Dewayne Wade scored five points and had five turn overs? No? Yeah, he does not either. But it was Game 3 against the Pacers.  After the game, the pundits, critics and armchair point guards went in about how Lebron James always chokes.  Wait...didn't D-Wade have the poor performance? Athletes have to have amnesia. If a gymnast falls during the vault, she has to go repeat that vault and forget what happened.  If a quarterback has thrown interceptions, he has to forget all of them and drive his team down the field. When a basketball player throws up bricks, he has to keep shooting. The Heat were down 2 games to 1, heading into Game 4.  Guess what? They got amnesia. So they tied up the series. Then Game 5 came around...and they downright got dementia! Wade and James went all the way in like Seal Team 7. The Pacers were obliterated. Tonight was Game 6. James and Wade were at it again. They polished off the Pacers in Indiana. W

Brian Banks celebrates with his mama. Photo from LaTimes UPDATE A comment posted below led me to Brian's website  http://brianbanks.org/the-incident/  . There, I read the story from his perspective.  According to him, he and Wanetta Gibson never had sexual intercourse.  They merely fooled around.  At the time he was sixteen years old, which makes his incarceration even more atrocious.  You can continue reading the original post I made below. ______________________________________________________ He was only 17 years old in 2002, and a hot commodity on the football field. One day he links up with a classmate, and they have sex. When the girl's mother finds out, Brian Banks is arrested and charged with rape and kidnapping. He faced 41 years in prison. His attorney advised him to plead no contest to serve less than a quarter of that time. Brian Banks relents. Meanwhile the girl, Wanetta Gibson, continues to keep up the charade.  Her mother eventually sues the Long Bea

Meagan Good and fiance, Pastor DeVon Franklin Meagan Good started acting as a kid. You all probably remember her from Friday (little girl at Big Worm's icecream truck) or Cousin Skeeter. More recently she has appeared on The Game and in the movies Jumping the Broom and Think Like A Man . Meagan recently became engaged to Pastor-Producer DeVon Franklin, who produced the movie Jumping the Broom. Pastor Franklin is a Seventh Day Adventist, and he and Meagan agreed to wait to consummate their relationship after marriage. Strangely this bit of news crosses my desk, shortly after a reader asked my take on an Ebony article: Single, saved---and having sex . The byline reads: A MAJORITY OF YOUNG CHRISTIANS ARE FOREGOING ABSTINENCE, EVEN AS THEY KEEP THE FAITH. CHECK OUT THIS EXPLOSIVE PIECE FROM THE MAY 2012 ISSUE OF EBONY Quite frankly, I was slightly disturbed by the article, but not shocked.  After all there is usually more messiness going on with the pew riders, than the ou

Desmond Hatchett has 30 children Ever noticed how people get all up in arms if you point out that they have made some jacked up decisions? "Don't judge my past" is often thrown out there as a defensive strategy. Meanwhile, people who have decided to be careful in their lives, and not make risky decisions, are oft made to feel less than because they don't have as much "baggage". In the dating world poor decisions may impact whether or not someone will date the Mr./Mrs. Don't Judge Me.  If a person has multiple children by multiple people, a criminal record, bad credit, poor physical appearance, and a nasty attitude, how does that person expect to be accepted as is? I often see, or hear, comments from people that attempt to excuse their past as something that should be forgivable by everyone.  Yet these Mr./Mrs. Don't Judge Me types continue to want Mr./Mrs. Perfect.  Why is a person who has made better decisions and taken care of themselves,

Photo from R. Chameleon Boutique I haven't done a blog on fashion and shopping in a bit.  So I wanted to tell you about my budget shopping, and savings. I loved this Ralph Lauren Linen skirt when I saw it about a year ago, but I refuse to pay a whole lot of money for anything... Ralph Lauren or not! The cool thing about it was it is so long, that I could pull it up, belt it, and wear it like a strapless dress.  Okay...maybe you cannot see the vision... haha! I could not find a yellow Calvin Klein cardigan, so I splashed it with paint, to give you a visual. One thing you have to know about having a good fashion sense, is that you do not have to blow the bank. With a retail price of 149.00 for this Ralph Lauren skirt, I actually purchased it for lower than the sales price posted. I bought this skirt from Ross Dress for Less , for about 29.00. That was a savings of 80%! Yesterday I wore it as a skirt, pairing it with a black shirt from South African designer, Car

Glucose meter for diabetics Several years ago, I had a list of questions for my doctor about health and wellness. When asked about diabetes risks , she said, "Everyone eventually gets it. My 90 year old grandmother has it." Wait a minute! What?! I do not WANT it. I was fresh out of law school and had gained some serious weight.  Mind you, the same thing happened after undergrad, but I joined a gym with my homeboy from work, ran with some friends, and got back into shape. ( It was a serious meat head gym too. Ha! Nothing fancy about it at all. No pilates or spin classes, just rustic equipment. Not only meat head, but a little redneckish, and I was the only melanin rich person in the bunch. All the folks at the gym were very sweet though. ) Consequently, when my doctor said everyone eventually gets diabetes, I was seriously disturbed.  While in law school, I worked part time at a pharmaceutical marketing company.  Speaking to doctors, was something I did regularly. My

Terricka Cromartie, wife of Antonio Cromartie with him and kids (older girl from Terricka's prior relationship) Blackmediascoop.com   reports that former Candy Girl, Terricka Cromartie faked a suicide attempt in order to get her husband's, NFL Jet's corner Antonio Cromartie, attention. Allegedly the attempt was to thwart any cheating by Antonio while he was off in Miami.  YBBG discussed cheating with a guy who cheated in What he said . From that discussion, you may have learned that nothing you do can stop a person from stepping out of the relationship.  Although what you do may influence him/her to pay more attention to the temptation. Terricka went into the relationship knowing that Antonio had, what seems like, an insatiable taste for women. He has fathered approximately ten children with eight different women.  YBBG discussed a book written by his former fiancee and mother of child number five (or six), Rhonda, after speaking with her some while back. ISSUE:

Shanard " Dabestdressed " Smith leads a discussion on "Contingencies" Shanard called me a couple of weeks ago to tell me about a round table he planned to put together, after having a nice little debate with a group of people at a previous outing.  You may remember Shanard from YBBG, as he was #15 in the What he said segment. The video is just the opening few minutes. Playbook: The Round Table Discussion (Battle of the Sexes style) The setup: Six men vs Six women at Mez (Epicentre in Charlotte) Topic: Contingencies in relationships  Shanard's role: Conversation starter/facilitator YBBG's role:   Recorder and referee Other Participants:  @ itsdee_eh_druh   @ itsme_msPopular   @ TheHurtLocker12 @ pennyboi19   @ ezraleak   @ 8iam   @ kmarqpratt   @ lrb0126 @ lfcsec5_troy   The video above shows the beginning, as I recorded on my Sprint iPhone 4S . Shanard and I had a discussion about the topic, "Contingencies", before the

Media Kit for YBBG Download The photo above is the media kit I created.  I knew nothing about media kits until I saw a tweet from @Blog_Trends .   Blog Trends , is a community of lifestyle, fashion, and beauty bloggers.  I joined Blog Trends after a Twitter Q/A they held a couple of weeks ago.  It was quite informative.  With all of the input from a number of sources, I decided to embark on better blogging with YBBG. Better Blogging Learning the language of the blog world Editing my posts without editing my voice Overcoming being technologically challenged LANGUAGE: "Lifestyle Blogging" I had no idea what lifestyle blogging was until this week.  I heard about it in the blogging world, but never had a clear definition.  First off, I blogged as a hobby.  I write a column as a freelancer, professionally for Examiner.com .  YBBG was an outlet for me to say what ever came to mind, without being censored.  Strangely enough, with YBBG containing so much of

NFL great Cris Carter has taken Brandon Marshall under his wing. Marshall has had a lot of trouble in the past, but things seem to be looking up. This morning on ESPN, Marshall sat by Carter as they discussed an article Marshall penned about sports depression. (Photo: AP/Jim Prisching) Marshall also discussed the outcome of a case where he was accused of punching a woman in the face at a club. Marshall was at the spot with his wife, when a fight broke out. Apparently, his wife was hit in the head with a beer bottle. A while ago Marshall's wife was arrested for stabbing him . Marshall was cleared of any wrongdoing. On ESPN, Marshall spoke of the need for therapy and having good people around you in order to make good decisions. In the Chicago Sun-times article he penned after Junior Seau's suicide, Marshall wrote of having the tragedy become a teachable moment. Marshall writes about the way boys are taught to deal with emotions, and how it later impacts the

Lauryn Hill and Marley on the left, Marley and fiancee, Isabeli Fontana on the right. Photo from Ebony.com So there's an Ebony article about what sistas can learn from Lauryn Hill's situation with Rohan Marley.   Apparently Lauryn had a fifteen year relationship with young Marley and popped out five of his offspring.   Now young Marley is engaged to a younger woman who has no youngins of her own.  One of my cyber people (hey Brit!) pointed out that Rohan is still married to his first wife , whom he married in college. Who knows? That situation is a mess. But let's go to the point that the Ebony article attempted to make...I guess. I got a little lost when the writer started lamenting about how marriage doesn't make a woman... So what was the purpose of the article exactly?? I'on know. To a greater point.  What happens when a person gives their all to someone, only to see them share that all with another? Last night, I attended a "round table dis

Yekaterina Pusepa Photo from Daily Mail Miss Pusepa sporting her boyfriend's blood. Photo from Daily Mail I'm sure when her boyfriend met her, she was pretty and bubbly.  They clicked and then moved in together. Miss Pusepa poses on Facebook in lingerie and deep cut dresses...probably a "fun girl". (See the pictures here )  But when will dudes learn that you cannot treat "fun" the same way you treat "commitment"? Nothing against "fun girls", but if all they have to offer is "fun"...you are in for some trouble.  I know someone had to tell Alec Katnelson that everything that looks good is not always good for you. Then again, maybe they didn't.  The poor child found out the hard way.  According to the NY Post, Alec met with the sharp end of a knife at the hands of Miss Pusepa.  He had already tried to throw her out of their shared abode before and to get a restraining order. You see, Miss Pusepa went bloody kni

Ty Lawson, pg for Denver Nuggets So last night Kobe had the BGs and apparently his sour stomach soured the team . It wasn't just that the Lakers played like some crap, but the Nuggets, led by Ty Lawson came out blasting!  There was a stretch in the beginning, where Lawson dropped back to back to back three pointers.   He was on fire. The Nuggets were not expected to even show up against the Lakers...Ron "Meta World Peace" Artest started throwing 'bows in the Lakers last game of the regular season and was put on ice for six games.  Lawson back when he played for my Tar Heels. So, the road was not as rough for the Nuggets, but it is still the Lakers they are playing, and Kobe is still Kobe. But last night, lil Ty Ty came to play. It was like watching him back when he was the leader of the Tar Heels. Anyone who watched Lawson play in college, knows he had it in him to go off in the pros.  Last night his stats were better than Kobe's.  He even ha

Photo credit: kahanaboy from morguefile.com Everybody cheats right? Well...at least all guys cheat at some point in their lives.  That's what a couple of ladies said while we were out for lunch the other day.  ( They'll probably read this...hey y'all! ) When I said I don't believe all guys cheat, they said oh they do. I said I haven't been in the position of being cheated on, they said... "you were, you just didn't know about it." Let me just say unequivocally, I do not believe all men cheat.  I believe most people get tempted.  But not everyone takes the bait.  Or they know how to end one situation without dipping into the next. Do I know men who have cheated? ABSOLUTELY.  I personally know men who have cheated. But that has never led me down the path of expecting cheating or even being fearful of it...which apparently a lot of women are.  And quite honestly, I do not get it. One of the ladies explained that, even though she feels that

Savannah McMillan-Christmas, 20 From Facebook I have heard of groupies showing up at hotels, outside of locker rooms, and waiting at players' homes.  But this chick takes it to another level. Savannah out on the court. Look at the referee's face! LOL Photo from thecheapseats.ca The other night the Nuggets were playing the Lakers, and right in the middle of the first half, whistles start blowing and the game stops.  Why? Because Savannah McMillan-Christmas starts walking out onto the court, allegedly asking Ty Lawson (former UNC point guard), "Where's Kenyon?" Ummm...Kenyon Martin no longer plays for the Nuggets, sweetie.  Clearly she is not up on her groupie lessons. Groupies know when players are being traded before the players know themselves. According to a number of sports outlets, Ms. McMillan-Christmas has been banned from the Pepsi Center where the Nuggets play because she was stalking Martin .

Royce in the middle of a fight with her dad. From blog.vh1.com I hate to say it, but I was drawn back into the train wreck that is Basketball Wives. I have no excuse...but I'm going to try to focus on what ever good point I can. A shining light in this show is Royce Reed's father. I like him. He seems like a serious, for real daddy. Royce's dad feels she needs to grow up and he let her know that.  She clearly gets in her feelings and overly emotional. She keeps falling in love.  I don't know how people do that, but after talking with some of my gal pals, I guess I understand.  Some ladies choose to solely focus on getting to know one guy, and riding that thang on out until the end.  ( I laugh at my on colloquialisms sometimes... ) I mean it takes a lot for me to fall, but when I fall. I FALL!!! On the flip, I am not opposed to dating multiple guys in order to decide who I want to be with.  Some women fall for the first thing smokin'. Royce seems like th