Each woman is a prior U.S. Open winner. But I am team Serena all day, any day. Serena has won the tournament six times; last time was in 2014. Serena and Maria have been rivals on the court for a long time. Serena ranked No. 8, and is now cracking for her 24th Grand Slam title, which would tie the record for the most wins. YAY!

The most recent chance at that record-setting title came in July at Wimbledon, where Serena lost to Simona Halep in the finals in straight sets.

But the beautiful thing in that situation was Serena is still out on the court working her magic encouraging, inspiring, and setting the tone for all black women in this predominately all white sport. Win or loss Serena will always be my champion. Love you.   

 

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California has generated a record $3.1 billion in licensed cannabis sales this year, solidifying its status as the largest legal marijuana market in the world.

An approximate $2.5 billion in 2018, the first year of licensed cannabis sales in California, according to the Bud sales-tracking firm BDS Analytics.

California’s black market for marijuana continues to flourish as high taxes and a refusal by most cities to allow licensed shops makes it cheaper and easier for people to buy from illicit dealers. An estimated $8.7 billion is expected to be spent in the illegal cannabis market in 2019 — more than double the amount of legal sales. Go figure.

The size of the black market continues to baffle many supporters of Proposition 64, the statewide initiative approved by voters in 2016 to legalize growing and selling cannabis for recreational use.

More than 20 years after California became the first state to legalize the sale of medical marijuana, it will take several more years more to move many longtime growers and sellers into a complicated licensing system with extraordinary high taxes on your buds. The huge levels of taxation and regulatory woes that add 77% to the cost of a gram in the legal market versus what it costs on the open black market. Hum…. decisions, decisions.

Just in Los Angeles, it’s 10 to 1 when it comes to illegal operators versus legal ones. Are we surprised?

California remains easily the biggest government-sanctioned market in the nation; $1.6 billion in legal sales projected.

California can now legally grow up to six marijuana plants at home, including all of the harvest from those plants.

Every adult Californian can now legally grow marijuana.  Based on California’s history, this is likely an event that was destined to occur.

Here’s are some rules you should know:

·         The minimum age is 21

·         Possess no more than 6 plants at a time

·         Grow only where you live, where it cannot be seen

·         Carry no more than 28.5 grams

·         Cities can prohibit outdoor growing, but not indoor growing

·         If you run into trouble with the law, get a cannabis lawyer, we have plenty

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We have tremendous wealth inequality and homeownership inequalities by race and ethnicity. Many black and Hispanic families to-date don't have as much wealth to share as white families, because past government policies shut them out of homeownership. As recently as the 1960s, the practice of redlining and steering explicitly denied government-backed home loans to residents in minority neighborhoods. The reality is who has wealth now and who can gift that wealth to their children is a direct consequence of our government lending practices from 50 years ago. Who said slavery is a thing of the past?  For many folks of color homeownership means that we're out of poverty and actually building a future. And I ‘m not talking about a home like this one, but a modest humble dwelling that hopefully in 30 years I can claim as mine. But still today there is a Starbucks sippin, torch carrying MF who has a problem with this. $547,000 is the median priced for a single-family home statewide.  Chinese buyers have been the top foreign buyers in both units and dollar volume of residential housing for six years straight, according to the National Association of Realtors, and now they expanding to new, lower price tiers. So on that note, minimize your Nike/Jordan purchases, get a reasonably priced whip and stack your coinage for a roof over your head to call your own before you find yourself living under the freeway and someone in the media wearing a red cheap ass hat saying this is how you like to live.   

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When your vision is Blurred, who’s doing wrong? Know yourself. We are in a generation of noncommitment. Riddled with Shallow MFs with unpardonable sin. So step with your eyes wide open and tread slowly for your own self respect and protection. Protection of your feeling, finances; cause time is money, and don’t expect a brother to be a lottery ticket, cause if you do remember how many tickets you got to buy before you hit the Jackpot. Spare your cookies that journey. Love you

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So, I am at this doctor’s office via a referral from an employer. This doctor’s is charging / billing $300 an hour for an initial consultation. I’m no booshi ass with out of touch expectation, however WTF is this? This waiting room has no reception; you know a person at the window or counter to greet you or to just ask you what you need. Instead you get a buzzer on the wall to press with a laundry list of other doctors who you just assume their ass is on the other side of the wall. This space is dark and creepy looking like out of a twilight zone flick. The magazines are over a decade old. There is a woman waiting and looking afraid, I guess because she is confined to a 9 by 10 space with 2 big guys also and no staff visible from this medical office. For the price I’m paying for insurance plus the out of pocket expense, doctors need to step it up. So, here is the punch line of this joke, but at the time I was not laughing. So, the three of us, me, some other dude, and this lady sat waiting to be called in after buzzing / alerting whoever is on the other side of the wall for 30 minutes. There is no one here. The office is empty, so we all left sharing an elevator down to the parking lot that is charging in 15-minute increments and shared our opinions of this crappy medical office experience.  

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A seven-time women’s player of the year, Williams was ranked world No.1 in singles eight times between 2002 and 2017. She has also earned 14 major doubles titles to total 72 career titles on the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour.

Serena and Venus made their debuts in the mid 1990’s. Since then, Serena has won 810 career titles and inspired the careers of several other black players on Tour. I don’t believe we would have little Coco if it wasn’t for the William sisters.

Raise your glass and salute Serena. An amazing woman. We love you!

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There are way too many hospitality options for me to lay my head and to spend my chips, why would I stay in Racist Ville? I happened to be doing business at a nearby hotel and found myself frequently walking past this tower of hate to get to the parking lot and was completely puzzled by the amount of people of color coming in and out of this bigot establishment. I was embarrassed for them. Surely, they watch the television, receive updates of their cell, occasionally pick up a magazine to see the hatred this orange devil is spewing.  If you are in the 1%; the filthy rich it is still a WTF moment, but these are everyday middle-class folks at best. Please love yourself and wake the hell up.      

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The Food Truck frenzy has fizzled. Everyday of the week some neighborhood has a stream of trucks offering an assortment of delectable or grease. As a lover of food and someone who fantasizes about serving up great food from the RV food truck style with a Cali J twist, I expect to see more statements being made and less frenzy and scrapping for a space on the path. Rarely can you enjoy a single truck putting it down for a community of gathering. There is always a cluster fuck of trucks which for some reason makes me feel like I somehow am not getting the full experience of the truck I am interested in as this truck is distracted by all the competition. I want feel like a guest of the truck who is hosting a lovely dinner via the bad ass kitchen on wheels. I love it when the area allows for the truck to set up an outdoor seating environment. This is when I am good with dropping the $17 on the lobster roll when I am no where near the fucking ocean. It is about the experience for me not just the ability to feed me from a truck. Hum.

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The sounds of live Jazz and Blues bands will once again fill Town Center Drive in Valencia. The Valencia Jazz & Blues Concert Series returns for its 20th year, once again featuring regional, national and international entertainers in a family friendly, quaint street party setting, offering activities for adults and children. In addition to the extraordinary sounds offered from top Jazz and Blues recording artists, the scheduled series will bring a variety of activities for the entire family as well as a variety of food and beverages, including wine and beer for the adults.  No pets or outside food or beverages are allowed.  Admission is free. 

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John Singleton. My first thought use to be, here is the first black person to earn an Oscar nomination for best picture. That was a WOW moment for me. Boys in the Hood my all-time favorite hood-flick. Filmed where my parents grew up, grandmothers too, the iconic palm trees, Regina King, Nia Long, Angela Bassett, Ice Cube, Morris Chestnut, Lawrence Fishburne, Cuba Gooding and the Baldwin Hills shopping center; a South Central Classic.

At age 51 this California pioneer, this creative LA genius is dead. It is said that he checked himself into Cedar Sinai complaining of a headache. It was after being admitted, John suffered a massive stroke and then later put into a coma.  I believe John had checked himself into California Rehab in Century City for similar symptoms earlier this year and later checked himself out.

Whatever the circumstances that brought on this stroke, visionary John Singleton was taken too soon. UCS Marvel with decades of amazing works of art to moves us on the screen adorning some of California’s most beautiful brilliant black artists. RIP John singleton, we will miss you.  

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The American Lung Association says we have the worst air quality in the nation leading to more lung cancer and other issues, heart  attacks and more.

California's reign as the U.S. state with the worst air pollution. Los Angeles is nation's smoggiest metro area. San Francisco, San Diego and Sacramento are also terrible with the air quality. Los Angeles has had the worst smog for 19 years of the 20-year history of the report. With the amount of tourism and the attraction to the state overall, you would think we would treasure this state more. We just take it for granted like it is always going to remain intact. HUM It is 6 something in the morning and i can chew the air right now as I prepare for my morning run. As I stretch and look onto the horizon, I cant but wonder the degree and overuse taking place in other states it this is what happens to the state we love.

Thanks to a combination of cars, the Golden State’s weather and topography, and added smog from less rainfall and more frequent wildfires in recent years, the air quality index is often over 100, which is considered unhealthy.

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Believe that you make good decisions, that you are a valuable person with a great future. Believe that something good is going to happen to you today.

Be positive regarding what you can do. Don’t worry over what you can’t do. And being open to learn allows us to walk thru life’s doorways eager to discover what waits for us on the other side. A chance to learn more about ourselves and unleash our abilities.

HB MN

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A 3D mammogram is an imaging test that combines multiple breast X-rays to create a three-dimensional picture of the breast. It can also be used to investigate the cause of breast problems, such as a breast mass and pain in the breast.  A study has found that adding 3-D mammography or breast ultrasound to regular screening mammograms can detect more cancers in dense breasts.

Encourage the women in your life over 50 to have this test once a year.

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We appreciate your passion, commitment and love of your community. Your contribution is colossal.

Ermias Asghedom is the West Coast’s most innovative hip hop entrepreneur representing the Crenshaw District like no other. Networking and making it happen where in a neighborhood most escape from acquiring businesses that were struggling like the iconic Fatburger.

My mother and grandmother are products of Hyde Park and this district has been crying for help since the 1960s.

Ermias was involved in the Destination Crenshaw arts project. Ermias was involved in bringing back World on Wheels; a much-needed outlet for kids. Ermias was trying to make a difference with education and gang violence in this historically starving Hyde Park neighborhood.

It is so tragic that during these tumultuous times in America, we opt to take out one of our own Hometown Heroes.  This is really fucked up. Is are shade and salt so extreme that killing our own gives us peace? I got to believe that is impossible.

If you have not yet shown your support, get Grammy nominated Victory Lap.

Ermias Asghedom we see you, love you, and will miss you immensely. RIP

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Lisa Bonet AKA L Moon was born in San Francisco CA but worked her way to the southside where she attended Birmingham High School in the 818; on Balboa and Victory. I believe she lived in NoHo as well.

Lisa has 3 beautiful children by 2 well known talented industry men; Jason and Lenny. Lisa has delivered us the gorgeous Zoe. Thank you!

Lisa Bonet is best known for her role as Denise Huxtable on the Cosby Show, launched back in September of 1984.  Lisa later rolled out with the spinoff comedy; A Different World, for its first season.

One of my favorite Bonet works is Angel Heart opposite Mickey Rourke, where she is sexy and erotic and daring. Roofie Wizard Bill Cosby was so opposed to Lisa’s role in the film as he proclaimed it to be “Not Cosby like.” LOL. What a Freak!  I digress. I would like to have seen more of Lisa in Enemy of the State with the lovely Regina King and Mr. Smith.

You and Jason look amazing on the red carpet representing the Pink well. 😊

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THE MEASURE STATES ALL REVENUES FROM LOTTERY SALES TO BE DEPOSITED INTO A NEW SPECIAL FUND CALLED THE STATE LOTTERY FUND, FIFTY PERCENT OF THESE PROCEEDS FROM LOTTERY TICKET SALES WOULD BE PAID OUT AS LOTTERY PRIZES, AND A MAXIMUM OF 16 PERCENT COULD BE USED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS (INCLUDING COMMISSIONS TO SELLERS OF LOTTERY TICKETS), THE LOTTERY PRIZES WOULD BE EXEMPT FROM STATE (BUT NOT FEDERAL) INCOME TAXES, THE REMAINDER OF THE PROCEEDS FROM TICKET SALES--AT LEAST 34 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL--WOULD BE TRANSFERRED INTO A NEW SPECIAL FUND (THE STATE LOTTERY EDUCATION FUND) FROM WHICH MONIES WOULD BE CONTINUOUSLY APPROPRIATED FOR THE BENEFIT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION, ANY UNCLAIMED LOTTERY PRIZES AND UNUSED FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS WOULD ALSO BE PLACED INTO THIS FUND, THE MEASURE REQUIRES THAT THE FUNDS MADE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION BE DIVIDED AMONG THE FOLLOWING FOUR CATEGORIES OF PUBLIC EDUCATION: KI~IDERGARTEN-THROUGH-TWELFTH GRADE (K-12), COMMUNITY COLLEGES, THE CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY (CSU), AND THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA (UC), THE FUNDS WOULD BE DISTRIBUTED PEPIODICALLY BY THE STATE CONTROLLER ON A "PER CAPITA" BASIS, THIS PROBABLY WOULD BE INTERPRETED IN TERMS OF AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE OR FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT ENROLLMENT.

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Where can I go to grab some 15s if I don’t want to order on-line?

The Rack is my only option. It is a hit or miss situation, but worth the come-thru. Jordon’s are a staple in here, its like fries at Micky Ds, you could always take some.

There has got to be another spot, I just have not found it yet. TBA

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Two days ago, it was snowing in the Valley.  Today it feels like Summer. However, the hottest mid-day has been in the 60s for the entire month of February.

Who said there is no Global Warming? Then what exactly is this? It is 30* degrees in the car and I have ice on the windshield.  

We have another storm coming in two days; a Pineapple Express. They say we have not experienced a February like this since 1847. WTF. Today there is 21 feet of snow in Big Bear. Great skiing, but this too is so extra for this time of year.

Today I am about 30 miles from the beach and there are seagulls overhead. HUM  

Live everyday like it’s your Birthday.  Tomorrow we can be frozen with no warning, or did I mean no warming?

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Like most, I can appreciate this fat tail critter as a part of our outdoor landscaping. Seeing the squirrels playing in the trees when I am out on a run is serene.  But let’s break it down. Without this fat tail is this anything more than a glorified rat?  In my neck of the woods this fat tail critter is adorned on a level that has my neighbor chucking handfuls of peanuts for the squirrels who then spend hours trying to store their nuts away for safekeeping in my landscaping. Clearly Big Sug is eating his nuts too by the size of his belly, Sug is also eating up my pomegranates and oranges and herb. I believe I am his local Sprouts. Yes, I can rid my yard of Big Sug and break my neighbors’ heart, instead Wesley protects my Pom Juice and herbs and we have adapted.       

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