I just want to take the time to thank all the gang bangers, thugs, and purposely mischievous people both old and new school - yes young and old - who have made it a difficult process for not only my children, but for other black children that want to go to school to get an education. Believe it or not, there are some that still have hope and faith in our school systems.

I remember back in the late 80's and early 90's when we wore street clothes to school and gangs, thugs, and mischievous people both old and new school - yes young and old - would make their way to the elementary, junior and senior high schools to "jack" students for their gear which forced schools to have to then put students in uniforms. At least that is what happened in Houston, Texas (HISD). Okay - the students adjusted to that. They colored coordinated their belts, earrings, head bands, hair ribbons, and bracelets to match their footwear to form their on personal style and to make the uniforms fly. But guess what? All these things are now unacceptable to wear at some schools, particularly Cullen Middle School. Innocent colors like purple, pink, orange, yellow - those other than red and blue cannot be worn by students because they symbolize gang colors or gang affiliation. Not only that, but certain shoes and shoe string colors are prohibited. And to add to that, girls are not to wear feminine uniforms, but the same type of uniform clothing that the boys wear.

My daughter bought hot pink and light pink shoes, bracelets, belts and head gear to rock with her white tops and khaki pants only to be told that all these things could no longer be worn to school because they indicate gang affiliation. What is a child to do these days? Bad enough there is no money to offer our kids extra curricular activities outside of football, basketball, track and cheerleading. There is no equipment, instruments or decent computers or programs to aide them in the learning process or to peak their curiosity. Communities such as the one my kids and I live in don’t have karate, dance, art and etc. and if they did we can’t afford such activities. Yet, we wonder why I kids get so bored in school and why the drop out rate is what it is. The gang bangers, thugs, and mischievous people both old and new school - yes young and old - take away the simplicity of fashion away from our kids because of gang colors and fear of gang affiliation.

And my mischievous people. Those that I suppose are physical abusers, child molesters, sexual deviants or whatever.......thanks for making it hard on our students. You molest and sexually abuse or even maybe physically abuse your child and your child brings that mentality to school and a case is caught. Now our students have to be separated. Boys on one side of the class and the cafeteria and girls on another. Yet, they are promised an 8th grade prom. How would that work? Simply things that got us through the days at school....looking fly and innocent and healthy male and female relationships. And I say got us through because there were no extra curricular activities for us at school or outside the school neither.

I know that I said I was a scrooge before, but I take that back now.  I had a wonderful Christmas!

My cousin flew in from Florida on Friday... she's like my sister and I love her so much!  On Saturday, we all went to my mom's brother's house for "Cookie Day 2007."  What is cookie day you ask?  Well my mother is the youngest of 10 children, so you can imagine how big our family is.  I have over 90 cousins on that side of the family!  On Christmas Eve, we all gather together for a huge reunion.  We eat A LOT of cookies, so we have to have a cookie day where all we do is bake cookies.

Each person has her own job.  There's a pourer, mixer, spooner (not cuddling, but spooning the mix onto the cookie sheet), timer, taker outer, etc.  I came a little late this year, so my job was taster.  Okay, so maybe I planned it that way:)

Anyway, Cookie Day 2007 was a huge success.  Over 20 dozen cookies! 

On Christmas Eve, I saw family that I haven't seen in a year.  I ended up staying really late and eating too much, but that's what Christmas is for I guess.

On Christmas day, my family and I exchanged gifts.  I think my dog Shadow had the most presents under the tree.  He seemed to know exactly which ones were his, and he opened them all by himself.  What did I get?  Here's my top 5 presents this Christmas:

1. Nintendo DS from my brother (I've been playing with this all day, don't tell my boss)
2. vacuum cleaner (I am officially a boring grown up)
3. Money
4. 2008 Rose Bowl Illini shirt
5. pumpkin pie (seriously, my cousin Missy makes it from scratch and it's a little slice of heaven.  She made one only for me this year.  Loved it!)

Of course, the beauty of Christmas isn't getting gifts, but giving them and being with the ones you love.... but I still really really enjoy getting gifts. :)

What did everyone else get this year?  Did anyone give anything really great? 

Next up, New Years!  My best girls and I are traveling to Nashville.  As for a New Year's resolution... I'll get back to you on that!

I hope everyone had Happy Holidays!

~Rachael

Usually I'm a bit of a scrooge during the holidays.  I hate all of the music and commercialization of Christmas.  But I must say that this year, I'm a little more festive.  I actually decorated my apartment.  I have a tree, lights, garland and even little red ribbons everywhere.  It's really putting me in the Christmas mood!  This is what I've been missing.  I even find myself listening to holiday music (Blake from WDBR did a remake of Soulja Boy, and it's my new favorite.  Check it out on www.wdbr.com)

I am struggling, however, with finding the right gifts.  All I need to buy for this year is my mom, dad, brother, dog and grandma.  If anyone has any good ideas, let me know. 

Another thing that put me in a better mood was my friend Brandy's Ugly Holiday Sweater Party.  See the photo below.  When do people ever think it's okay to wear sweaters like that for real?  Are they made specifically for other people to make fun of them?  If anyone has any better ugly sweaters, please email me a picture!  ratchison@foxillinois.com

My mom asked me what I wanted this year for Christmas.  Usually I can name about 10 fun things I really want, but not this year.  I feel like I'm really a grown up now... here's my Christmas wish list:

1. Electric Blanket
2. Energy efficient space heater
3. new skillet
4. chopping knife
5. Vacuum cleaner

What the heck is going on here?  When did I turn responsible and boring?  Maybe it was the second I put on that hideous Christmas sweater....

HEY ALL!!  If you have AOL INSTANT MESSENGER or have a FACEBOOK account...you can now get linked up with WDBR!!!

For AOL INSTANT MESSENGER add us to your buddy list...our screenname is:  WDBRHITMUSIC

If you have a FACEBOOK account search for us under the following:  First Name:  WDBR   Last Name:  FM

Just a few more ways to be connected with 103.7 WDBR

www.wdbr.com

Blake

Yes it is true...I have created at Holiday Christmas Song REMIX!!!  The very popular song "Crank Dat" by Soulja Boy has now been remixed by D.j. Blake and Bobby P Productions.  It is now "Crank Dat Drummer Boy"  It takes some lines from my favorite Christmas song "Little Drummer Boy" and uses them in the "Crank Dat" Song.

Take a listen!!  Just click on the link below!!!

http://70.84.248.232/station_files/file_1197054002_
_.mp3

Make sure to check out more at www.wdbr.com!!!

Keep requesting the song!!

Lata.

Blake

Ms. Dalila...

uhhhmmm...ms.dalila is the kind of friend everybody needs and wants! I am a very honest, caring, loving person. I am 20 years old and already I have two kids. I am proud of where I am today, thanks to myself and the help of my parents! I work full-time, and a full-time mother as well! I live in the East end side of Houston.

Have you ever jumped out of  your car to run to the store and for some reason you can feel the cool wind just cut up under your moo-moo?  Now we both know that you had real good intentions when you left the house this morning wit' cha stockings up to ya elbows but when you look down they's past ya' knees. 

Ladies, don't be in dismay!  You can order my brand new product called "Granny MeMoh's Stocking Stayup There Now" Kit.  It come wit two Granny MeMoh Silver Dollars (GMSD), an instruction manual, and two emergency rubberbands. Made from the Noneya Rubber Tree (a rare rubber tree) found in the Noneya Mountains. 

Here's how it works:  Alls-ya do is have one GMSD coin for the left stocking and one GMSD coin for the right one.  Now, take the left stocking and place the GMSD coin where the elastic should be lastin' and twist it up until you almost cut off your cir-q-lation, then tuck it real fast.  Good Ladies, now do the same with the right stocking and GMSD coin.  Yup, this will hold your stockings up and in place.  I keeps me a Stocking Kit in my coin purse. 

Important Tidbit:  May cause drowsiness, light-headedness, or red marks and if it do. . . .You Dummy, they's too tight.  You done twisted em' one too many times.  And don't be fooled by imitations like those silver washers you get at the hardware store, they don't last as good! 

Now gon' out there and do all the thangs you always wanted to do! Hurry up and buy while supplies last.  Call 1-888-2STAYUP Operators are standing by. 

No Personal Checks!!!

Is anyone out there a haunted house fan?  I LOVE THEM... even though I am so scared of them. 

Anyway, we're doing a really cool promotion on FOX 55/27 Illinois called Wicked Wednesdays.  Every Wednesday at 5pm in October, we'll be airing a Simpson's Treehouse of Horror episode.  I've also had the pleasure of touring some local haunted houses, and we'll be giving away tickets to them on this website.  Make sure to enter and you could also win a Simpson's Prize Pack. 

What is everyone's favorite local haunted house?  What is everyone going to be for Halloween this year? 

Halloween is by far my favorite holiday... check out my costume from last year, and keep checking back for more info on this spooky contest!

This is my first time so I hope that I am sending it to the right place.  If not can someone e-mail me at phtrvlnmann@hotmail.com or call me 832-894-8151 and instruct me on this blogging. 

Basically, I have a couple of trivia questions on today's topic.

1.  What did Jed and the rest of the family think that the Mansion was when the approached it for the very first time?                                                  
   A prison

2.  When Granny first used the oven in the mansion what did she use as wood?    The top of telephone poles that Jedthro had chopped down.

3.  How much money did the Jed get for the oil he found on his land?    25 million

That's enough for now I am a fan of the Beverly Hillbillies and I could go on and on.

My name is Anthony Lipkins III and I am from Richmond, Texas.

A darkly intriguing trailer, critical acclaim and David Cronenberg at the helm made Eastern Promises one of my top fall picks sight unseen. However, this movie could not be a bigger disappointment and is grossly overrated.

What exactly is making every critic on the circuit hail Eastern Promises as an exceptional cinema masterpiece? I feel like I have been About Schmidted once again, only this time bloody gore takes the place of a nude Kathy Bates, which is still graphic and scary, but nowhere as frightening as Bates’ full figure.

Cronenberg and Mortensen first teamed up in the surprising hit A History of Violence. Their first outing was obviously their best since that movie had every element of a truly great movie; sharp script, explosive violence, a turbulent relationship and an original concept.

Unfortunately, Eastern Promises is less History of Violence and more like a really bad episode of The Office. Much like The Office, Eastern Promises has a couple of captivating scenes, but enduring the entire length of the film is not worth the couple of payoffs the viewer receives.

The critiques I have read explain Eastern Promises as; “gripping acting,” “flawless scenery,” “a tight simplistic plot” and “a modern day Godfather.” Did we watch the same movie? The script is so lethargic and lackluster that it appears the screenwriter was constantly shrugging his shoulders as he wrote it as if to say, “well, its ok, but nothing outstanding.”

The groundbreaking twist that is being so highly revered was so cliché I actually gritted my teeth in disgust when it was revealed. I thought Cronenberg had much more respect for an audience given the fact he used to only be a cult icon, and one that chose originality over box office appeal. Speaking of box office, Eastern Promises did not even make a million dollars opening weekend, which in Hollywood means a complete and utter failure.

I simply am not ready to drool all over this movie when I was left wanting so much more. The slap in the face ending leaves us no closure and is the straw that broke the camel’s back. We all know Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid don’t have a chance in hell when that movie concludes, but Eastern Promises could have gone in numerous directions, none however are addressed.

I cannot help but be reminded of Entourage as I reflect on Eastern Promises. Perhaps Eastern Promises had a young dimwitted producer like Eric in over his head because Eastern Promises is the Medellin of the fall movie season.

Let’s stop all the artsy fartsy complex movie reviews and see Eastern Promises for what it really is – an unfulfilled promise.

Hey gang,

I finally took a much needed vacation!  I visited my cousin and her husband in Tampa, Florida this past weekend.  My other cousin and their mom joined me, and we had the most relaxing family vacation ever.  We made it a point to not have any plans, so we could relax on the beach every day.

It took a little while for me to warm up to the ocean... I know most people are afraid of sharks, but not me.  I'm deathly afraid of eels!  Everytime I felt a piece of sea weed on my leg, I thought for sure I was being attacked by a deadly electric eel.  I think my fear stems from watching the Little Mermaid as a child.  Remember those scary bad eels? 

After my illogical fears subsided, I had a blast.  We built sand castles like we were 5 years old again, and even had a sand fight.  My favorite part of the trip was parasailing.  We went 800 feet in the air, and it was the most peaceful feeling I've had in a long time.  My cousin Erika and I went together, and I was really happy to share that experience with her.  She and Tiffany (who we visited) are like my sisters. 

Of course, I couldn't visit Florida without eating a ton of seafood!  I had grouper, tuna, salmon, mahi mahi, and enough crab legs to last until my next trip. 

Check out these pictures of my parasailing adventure.  You can find the rest of my vacation pictures on my myspace page.  Enjoy!

3:10 to Yuma

A couple of years ago I insisted to all that would listen that Christian Bale, Russell Crowe and Johnny Depp are the three best actors in Hollywood. I still stand by this statement today, and feel that the torch has been passed from cinema greats like Robert Redford, Paul Newman and Robert Deniro onto this new group of fantastic actors.

Apparently someone out there was listening because 3:10 to Yuma pairs Bale and Crowe together and the outcome is beyond quality acting. These two foreigners ditch their accents and come across as more American than apple pie, and consequently breathe new life into a dying genre in Hollywood – The Western.

Bale and Crowe have a unique bond that keeps the viewer guessing are they friend or foe? Their brilliant acting, combined with an authentic depiction of the lifestyles and hardships of the late 1800’s will certainly make 3:10 to Yuma a contender this Oscar season.

Bale is so dedicated to his acting craft I often wonder if he is able to separate his intensity in real life scenarios. To me, he is the best of the best right now and I hope that the academy finally recognizes his talent. His career is full of legendary characters. Check him out as an adolescent boy in Empire of The Sun and you will be blown away by the fact a kid upstages everyone else in the film, even John Malkovich. However, my favorite Bale film and coincidentally my favorite male performance of all time is Bale’s depiction of Patrick Bateman in American Psycho. After reading the book by Bret Easton Ellis, I cannot even picture anyone else in the role. It’s insane that he did not even receive a nomination for best actor for his role in American Psycho.

Bale and Crowe both have awesome projects to look forward to in the future – Crowe in American Gangster and Bale in The Dark Knight. With leading men like Bale and Crowe, instant classics are still a possibility in a movie industry plagued by run of the mill, cliché garbage.

Fun Fact:

Bale dropped an amazing 63 pounds for his role as the emaciated insomniac Trevor Reznik in the film Maquinista, El (2004) with only a single vitamin consultation with a nutritionist to guide him. For the most part, he only ate salads and apples, chewed gum, smoked cigarettes, and drank nonfat lattes. Gained it all back for Batman Begins, but could not even do a single push up when he first starting training.

It's my job to be "in touch" with pop culture....to be in-tune with the 18-44 year old female. It's what I do! So why wouldn't I watch the VMA's on MTV? WDBR's core artists like Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, Chris Breezy (as the kids say), Timbaland, Fall Out Boy were all going to be struttin' their stuff in Vegas. And of course, Britney Spears was making her return to the stage to start the show...In two words, I can describe my feelings while watching the VMA's..."I'M OLD"...I just didn't get it...I didn't get why everyone on the main stage was pulling a Milli Vanilli and lip synching. I didn't get the over-produced graphics MTV used when announcing the nominees...In fact, it just gave me a headache...I know what you're thinking..."Geez grandpa, drink your Boost and go take a nap!", or "zip it old man before I break your hip!" I know, I know...I sound like a grumpy old man.

Was my entire VMA experience tainted by the lack of showmanship by Britney's "show-opener"? She was horrible and it set the tone for the entire evening. If you missed it...here's what happened. Britney just walked out on stage, danced like a zombie and lip-synched HORRIBLY. She didn't care if we thought she was singing or not. And there were times when she didn't even bother to move her mouth....Needless to say, nobody in the audience was impressed...Just in case you're interested, you can see her performance and Tommy Lee and Kid Rock's fight here! The point of this whole rant is...I felt much older than 25 watching the VMA's...Have a great week!

BP

I left the movie theater Friday cheesing from ear to ear because I was so satisfied with the completely over the top Shoot Em Up. To onlookers it may have seemed that I just stepped out of a comedy due to my permanent grin, but the culprit was an action packed bloodbath.

Laughing at a bloodbath of bullet riddled action? Am I some kind of sick weirdo? Not at all because Shoot Em Up presents itself in such a stylized, humorous manner, that it’s quite ok to be amused by such brutality.

Clive Owen plays a nobody, a drifter, who uses food stamps and crunches more carrots than Bugs Bunny. He sees a pregnant lady about to be executed and feels the need to intervene. For the next two hours, he outlandishly kills over 200 bad guys, plays the role of father figure to a newborn, makes love to a prostitute (while killing a bad guy brigade) and continues to heartily eat his vegetables.

As if the movie could not appeal to me more, the only thing that stops a crying baby is Heavy Metal music. The newborn is soon equipped with an Ipod full of metal and a bullet proof vest to protect him from stray bullets. Many of the scenes incorporate Heavy Metal classics from Motorhead, Motley Crue and AC/DC, which provide the perfect accompaniment to imaginative gun battles that will leave you thunderstruck.

The constant humor and vicious performances by Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti makes Shoot Em Up one of the three best movies of the summer. (The other two being Superbad and Knocked Up and I have yet to see 3:10 to Yuma).

So if a movie is so twisted and superb, why did such an immediate classic only rake in 5.5 Million this weekend? People, go see this witty depiction of gratuitous violence that will without a doubt leave you cinematically fulfilled.

Alright Seriously...I know I'm not starting this blog off on a happy note, but geeez....Amy Winehouse is a freakin' whack-job! But finally...a dose of "tough love" from her husbands family. Mr. Winehouse...aka...Blake Fielder-Civil's mother says, quote, "If he's alive for another year, I think we'll be very lucky. Our greatest fear is that if one of them dies, the other will commit suicide. He tolde me if Amy died on a Monday he would be dead by Monday night....They are like two separate accidents waiting to happen. Their meeting exacerbated everyting that was wrong in their lives to the verge of tragedy." WOW! Some tough, yet sad words from a concerned mother.

And now...my other beef for the day...Michael Vick did an unthinkable thing by running and funding a dog-fighting ring...It was wrong and he should be held accountable for his actions. But think about it...Did Mike Vick commit murder? Did he commit a terrorist act? No! So why is he being treated like he did? Today, it was reported that The Humane Society is auctioning off the cheat-sheet from Vick's appology speech to benefit its Animal Cruelty Response and Reward Fund...If you ask me...This is a bit over-the-top! Let the guy serve his time for cryin' out loud! Ok, I'm done...

My Music Picks For This Week-  

Ben Harper- Fool For a Lonesome Train, Amerie- Gotta Work, and anything by Evan Dando. I'll have more for you next week! Stay cool today!

BP

Now i have to put something here also. O.K. There you go! (Something)

No Chip Clip needed.

This guy has too much attitude!

What to do with empty bags.

Simplify.

I have no idea what is going on in this one.

Hi everybody!  I'm Dina Michaels, co-host of the morning show on wdbr.

The biggest thing going on in my life right now, I'm pregnant and due on New Year's Day!  My husband and I are expecting a boy and we're so excited.  Everything's been going pretty well so far.  I haven't really experienced the morning sickness, but the fatigue hit me hard!  Now that I'm 21 weeks along I'm feeling pretty good.  We haven't had time to get the room set up, so I've set aside a weekend to get started.  This is the first grandchild on either side of the family, so they can't wait!  If you want to send me any suggestions for a name, feel free!

E-mail me at dina@wdbr.com!