When to Just Stop...Now is a good time.

Sunday's are great. They are not as good as Friday, when you know that when quiting time comes around you'll be free for 48 hours from cubicle life. Nor are they as good as Saturday's when you can sleep late...pretty much do anything you want for the entire day and are still cushioned by Sunday before you go back to the ole heave ho'. But Sunday's, nonetheless, are great!

Well this past Sunday was great, up and until I entered the Trader Joe's parking lot on 3rd and La Brea. My roomate and I were out grocery shopping and I decided to drop in at Joe's to pick up some healthier (and much cheaper) items, such as Edemame, Kosher Ground Turkey, ect. And although its not my most favored task to do, grocery shopping is pretty enjoyable *It's far above paying bills, washing dishes, taking out the trash*

Trader Joe's parking lot is way too small considering the amount of traffic the store sees. I could have been wrong on the first place *since I know I hate crowds and waiting* going to the grocery store on a Sunday evening - early enough to get traffic from ppl who are shopping for last minute items for Sunday dinner and the rest who are preparing for the week early enough to catch Sunday's Best TV show *Grey's Anatomy*. Anways, I am a master driver and excellent parker...but yesterday I was outdone. I don't know why I have run-ins with people like this, but I am starting to think its me.

I followed a man to his parking spot *because there was no sign of anyone else coming out*. Problem was, I could only follow him by turning against traffic of the lane he'd park in. Well noone else was there, so all was well. Until this chic in a Chevy Malibu jumps in front of me and takes my spot. Extremely peeved I tell this chic, that my spot - at which point she tells me "I don't give a fuck" A Black Woman has never been angrier! At this point, another person is walking to her car to come out...but someone is waiting for her... I can't leave this section because I am blocked also by someone behind me. When the chick who took my spot got out of her car...she walked passed me a smiled - like "Ha, bitch, I got your spot and there's nothing you can do about it"

All at once, I had a vision of parking my car behind hers so she couldn't move until I finished shopping - but then that would have affected other ppl. I thought about ramming into her car with mines, but it wasn't my car to make that decision. I thought about jumping out of my car and beating her ass (but that's not really my steelo), and then there was keying her car because well, she deserved it. She deserved all of these things to happen to her because when I finally parked, I ended up being cussed out by a guy who didn't see what happened to me and thought that I had ripped off his parking spot. There was yelling (me and him) - I was so pissed off that I was literally crossed eyed and shaking!

I didn't do anything because being a young black women - despite me being an upstanding, college educated, fully employed and tax paying citizen, I'd decided that on the "West" side of LA is not where I needed to be making a scene.

As this relates to my career...I realized that it might not be best thing to have a criminal record over a parking spot - cus once i got started, I'ont know that I would have stopped *on my own.* It didn't help that I was PMS'ing too... but then you think about ppl who are celebrities who have criminal records and godawful mug shots or tales of random acts of violence. Don't we all just shake our heads and say what a shame?

I don't know that I'll ever be considered a "celebrity" but still in the event that it should happen I decided...I should just stop...and now is a good time.



Here are some Celebrities (Major and Minor) who should have "Just Stopped"


KOBE BRYANT: NBA superstar Kobe Bryant is pictured in this mug shot taken by Colorado cops on July 4, 2003 following his arrest for allegedly sexually assaulting a 19-year-old hotel employee. Eagle County prosecutors are currently deciding whether to formally file charges against the 24-year-old Los Angeles Laker.


MIKE TYSON: Troubled ex-heavyweight champion Mike Tyson was busted by Arizona cops in December 2004 and charged with misdemeanor criminal damage. According to Scottsdale police, an inebriated Tyson departed the Pussycat Lounge at 12:45 AM and jumped on the hood of a stranger's car, causing about $1500 in damage (the boozy boxer/hood ornament was yelling at the car's driver while perched on his hands and knees on top of the 1999 Toyota Solara).

BOBBY BROWN: Singer Bobby Brown was photographed twice on November 7, 2002. After Atlanta cops charged him with possession of marijuana, speeding, and driving without a license or proof of insurance, they discovered an outstanding warrant in neighboring DeKalb County (where he was popped in April 1996 for DUI). The oft-arrested Mr. Whitney Houston posed first at the Atlanta City Jail in a khaki shirt, and after posting bond was transported to the DeKalb County Jail for a second, more casual b'ball jersey/t-shirt photo. He posed for a third mug (in a nifty striped sweater) on January 17, 2003 after pleading guilty to the 1996 DUI and being sentenced to eight days in jail. The fourth mug shot was taken in August 2003 after Brown was picked up for alleged probation violations. The recidivist was photographed at the DeKalb County Jail in February 2004, after a judge revoked his probation. And finally, in July 2004 Brown reported to the Fulton County Jail for booking in order to avoid an arrest warrant after he got busted in December 2003 for misdemeanor battery following a fight with the missus.

R. Kelly
needs to stop. It was a good time a long time ago!

Other Tragedies:

It's really sad that the preponderence of images I could find where of Black male atheletes and singers. DARE TO SAY NO! to drugs, underaged females, chicks that work in hotels in colorado and did I mention DRUGS!

*I'm done for the day...Sending a donation to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, right now.*