Little Graceman

So, do any of you know of Anna Graceman? I believe she was on America's Got Talent sometime ago.

Well, her 5 year old sister is letting us know that she will not let anything get in the way of her getting a job - including a man. The adorable toddler states in the first video that she won't be getting married until she has a job.



This next video is of the toddler complementing Jerry Seinfield and saying she wants to be a comedian. This is a follow-up to the preceding video.



Did this make you laugh or smile?

Meanwhile (hey, that rhymed), I promise to post some good stuff really soon. School started for me again yesterday, and I have a new roommate. (She's pretty nice. Don't worry.)

Have a great day, and try to hold on until the weekend. I know I am!

"World's Most Beautiful Marriage Proposal"

I saw this video a few weeks ago, and I thought I'd share it with you all. I didn't think I'd watch the whole thing, but...I watched the whole thing.

Here it goes!



Now, this is cute, isn't it? He thought of everything! The dress, her family, the ring. What a great story to tell the kids! The only thing that could've been a problem is if she thought the dress was hideous...or if she said no.

What if she said no?! What if she didn't want to get married right then? That is something I hope was taken into consideration.

If my boyfriend tried to pull something like that, I wouldn't know what to think...or do.

Ladies, what would you do if your boyfriend proposed to you like this? If I didn't want to get married, but I was in front of all those people, I'd probably say yes to the engagement, but no to the immediate wedding. That's just me.

Anyway, here's to Justin, Nikki, and their marriage. *Raises glass*

I hope you enjoyed this!

World AIDS Day 2011

"We must encourage people to get educated, to get tested, to get involved in the fight against AIDS." -Gwen Moore

"AIDS can destroy a family if you let it, but luckily for my sister and me, Mom taught us to keep going. Don't give up, be proud of who you are, and never feel sorry for yourself." -Ryan White

"The subject no longer has to be mentioned by name. Someone is sick. Someone else is feeling better now. A friend has just gone back into the hospital. Another has died. The unspoken name, of course, is AIDS." -David W. Dunlap

"The heart of the security agenda is protecting lives - and we now know that the number of people who will die of AIDS in the first decade of the 21st Century will rival the number that died in all the wars in all the decades of the 20th century." -Al Gore

"AIDS and malaria and TB are national security issues. A worldwide program to get a start on dealing with these issue would cost about $25 billion...It's, what, a few months in Iraq." -Jared Diamond

"HIV infection and AIDS is growing - but so too is public apathy. We have already lost too many friends and colleagues." -David Geffen

"I tell you, it's funny because the only time I think about HIV is when I have to take my medicine twice a day." -Earvin "Magic" Johnson

"The moral immune system of this country has been weakened and attacked, and the AIDS virus is the perfect metaphor for it. The malignant neglect of the last twelve years has led to breakdown of our country's immune system, environmentally, culturally, politically, spiritually and physically." -Barbra Streisand

"It is bad enough that people are dying of AIDS, but no one should die of ignorance." -Elizabeth Taylor

"We've had too many World AIDS Days." -Richard Gere

AIDS is some serious stuff. We know this. I especially feel bad for those who are so poor or live in places where they cannot get the treat they need. It's heartbreaking.

What Richard Gere said is true. We've had way too many Word AIDS Days. World AIDS Day was the first global health day, held December 1, 1988. That was 23 years ago, and the disease has been around before then.

Please, if anything, KNOW YOUR STATUS, and get tested.

Here's to the family members, friends, and colleagues, who are living with HIV/AIDS.
Also, here's to the family members, friends, and colleagues who have died of HIV/AIDS. Rest in peace.

Photo: No copyright infringement intended.

How To Hold a Conversation

Have you ever had those times when you're in the middle, maybe even the beginning, of a conversation with someone (a stranger, an acquaintance, a person you haven't seen in years), and you know that the conversation is going to end poorly rather soon? You try to think of something, anything that would help save the conversation from the flames.

Whomp. You couldn't do it, and the conversation awkwardly ends with a weirdly premature "See you around.", "Well, it was nice talking to you.", or "Okay. Goodbye."

Better yet, before you say one of those phrases above, you pretend to have a phone call, or you make up a story about how you have to be somewhere.

Well, HAVE NO FEAR! You can now stop lying to people about your engagements or meetings that don't exist. You can have a full and decent conversation before you excuse yourself. The search for questions or phrases to liven a dying conversation is over!

You simply have to let me, the Master Communicator, be your guide to a vibrant conversation. Follow me.

Element One: CONFIDENCE
No one wants to talk with someone who lacks confidence. I've talked to those kind of people. It's not fun. At all. It's awkward for both people engaged in the conversation. Insecurity in yourself has the potential to bring about insecurity in the person you're conversing with. Save yourself and the other person the trouble. Be confident! There's a 99% chance that you're awesome, so act like it!

Don't be overconfident or cocky though. That's a huge turn-off. You mustn't brag on yourself or anything. That's just too much. You don't understand how much I loathe talking with egocentric, egotistical, arrogant, self-absorbed people. Yes, that's pretty redundant. Simply avoid being one of those people.

There's a difference between being conceited and being confident. I beg you to choose the latter. Get it? Okay. Moving on...

Element Two: ASK QUESTIONS
It's good to ask questions. It's the equivalent of giving someone an essay prompt...kind of.

You should try to do more than simply asking the same question that was just asked of you. Don't know what I mean? Here are two examples:

"What's your major?"

"Vocal pedagogy. You?"

"Biology."

"Where are you from?"

"San Diego. You?"

"Colorado."

Sure, these questions are fine in the beginning, but if all you're saying is "You?", that's boring and shows a lack of creativity. I'm not going to give you a list of questions to ask, because that is still stifling your creativity. But, you could ask about personal interests, sports, family, school, or work even. Make your own list of questions. Memorize it. Use it when you need to.

IMPORTANT: Avoid asking questions that are too personal. That's rude. Questions like "How many sex partners have you had?" or "How much do you weigh?" are definitely NOT topics meant to be discussed with strangers or acquaintances. Got it? Good.

Element Three: CREATE A COMFORTABLE ATMOSPHERE
Monitoring how you're effecting the person you're conversing with is very important. Observe the body language! Arms folded across the chest translates as "I'm not relaxed." Standing to the side, having the body turned slightly away from you translates as "I'm trying to escape." Scanning the surrounding area also means "I'm trying to escape."
Ways to keep the comfortable atmosphere: Don't stand/sit too close, and don't touch. Also, like I stated in Element Two, choose appropriate conversation topics. If you have a weird laugh, and you laugh a lot at things that aren't funny, handle that. Create an artificial laugh if it's that serious, and don't laugh too much. That could be weird.
Apologize if you already made the atmosphere uncomfortable, and try to give yourself a second chance if it's not too late.

Element Four: LISTEN
If you do otherwise, that's beyond rude. Something cool or interesting could be said or a question may be asked of you, and you may miss it simply because you're not listening. You happen to be in the conversation with a person. The least you can do is be respectful by listening. Make eye contact, too. That ensures that you're listening.

Are you with me so far?


Element Five: KNOW HOW TO HANDLE SILENCE
Many people are uncomfortable with silence in a conversation. Unfortunately, that leads to someone stammering, trying to fill the silence with something interesting. But it's okay to have silence sometimes. Perhaps you or person with whom you're conversing is thinking of a response to your question. Perhaps it's time to end the conversation. Don't panic. If you're thinking, it's okay to slip the occasional "umm" in there, but if you're trying to fill the silence with "Ummm. Sooo. Yeah." That's not gonna work.

Random! Sometimes when I'm fumbling for something to say, I say "So, how's the weather?" Sure, that's such cliché ice-breaker, but then I talk about why it's such a cliché ice-breaker. Sooner or later, we're back on a good conversational path. That's just me.

All right. NEXT!

Element Six: DON'T OVERDO IT
Chances are, no acquaintance or stranger wants to know about how your cat threw up all over your ramen noodle soup. Chances are, no acquaintance or stranger wants to know how you got your biggest scab ever by skating down some stairs. Chances are, no acquaintance or stranger wants a long, drawn out story about you and your Aunt Myrtle's falling out over some Victoria's Secret underwear.

So, spare us. Please.

Even if you think your story goes with the topic you're discussing, there is no reason for you to have lengthy monologue for it. When it comes to stories, it's best to be concise. Even if someone asks you to tell the story, keep it short. There's no need to speak a biography or pour your life out to someone who may not even care for it.


Element Seven: KNOW WHEN A CONVERSATION IS OVER
This is a very important tip. When it's time to go, it's time to go. Again, read the body language. If the body has been turned away from you or the eyes are looking away, and if he/she isn't uncomfortable (like in Element Three), it's probably time to end to conversation. Some people straight up say, "I have to get going." or "It was nice talking to you." That means "The End".
So, flash a charming smile (if you have one), say "Thank you for your time, and it was great talking to you.", and walk away. Easy as that!
Even if you had a nice, long conversation, you still have to exit eventually. Do the same thing! It's not awkward if you do it right. Exit with some grace.
If you're the one who needs to end the conversation, be polite. A pleasant "It was nice talking to you." will do just fine. It's not premature. It's not awkward. Now, you can walk away with some pride as you just finished a good conversation with your awesome Nia-taught skills. =)

GROUP CONVERSATIONS:
It's a lot easier to participate in group conversations rather than just a one-on-one. The more people in the group, the less pressure on each individual. Awkward silence usually doesn't happen in these types of conversations. The only tip I have for group conversations is stay involved. Don't be the weird person texting (or pretending to text) all the time. Be sure to say something at least every once and a while. You don't necessarily have to be "quick on your feet" in group conversations, so have fun. Take some time, and develop your thoughts, if need be. If you still need help in a group conversation, use the above elements. If you're still struggling, well...that may be a slight problem.

BONUS TIPS!
These tips are like the icing on the cake, the ketchup on the fries, the "+" beside the "A".
Pay attention.

1. Try to be learned. Yes, learned. Pronunciation? /ˈlərnid/. When I say this, I mean that I don't want you to sound asinine. That's embarrassing. One of the best way to avoid asininity in conversation? Don't use words that aren't words. Irregardless? Definitely not. That sounds ignorant. The word you want is regardless. Conversate is not a word. It's CONVERSE! No, not the shoe brand. It's pronounced differently anyways. I'm not trying to offend anyone. I'm simply trying to educate. So yeah, have a good vocabulary; and remember, correct grammar is sexy!

2. This kind of goes with the tip above, because it's another way to avoid asininity. Don't try to discuss topics that you really have no knowledge about. One of the worst things to do in a conversation is deliver a twisted up a story or supposed "fact", thinking it's true. You'll be even more abashed if the subject you're ignorantly discussing happens to be the other person's specialty.
GREEK LESSON!
The word sophomore has two Greek roots: soph, which means wise, and mor (as in moron), which means foolish. Therefore, a stupid person who acts like a know-it-all is said to be sophomoric. Avoid looking like a sophomore. Talk about what you know. There's some insight for you.

3. Do the listener noises. You know what I mean. The mhms, yeahs, ooos, and aahs. It helps move the conversation along, and gives the other person assurance that you're listening to him or her and that you're interested in whatever's being said...even if you're really not.

4. Avoid name-dropping. "So, when I went there, I saw Bill, and he was with Karen. Afterwards, David came out of the blue and spent twenty minutes talking about Helga's ear infection." No. If the person you're conversing with doesn't know who you're talking about, don't talk as if he/she does.

5. The use of jargon is generally meant for the workplace. Why would you converse with a chef by using special words or expressions meant for quantum physicists? Think it through.

6. Common interests are a definite plus and a good source to feed off of. "No way! You play the violin too?!" In this scenario, talk to the person with whom you're conversing about the violin training you've received, your favorite composers, or anything that's good like that. Is this self-explanatory enough? I hope so, because I'm not going further into it.

7. Please remember that a conversation should be an equal effort. Some people don't talk much, and that could be an exception. But notice how I've repeatedly said talk with rather than talk to. It isn't a lecture or a speech. It's a conversation. DON'T HOG THE CONVERSATION. Sharing is caring, so give the other person time to talk and stuff. (This is more of a broad reiteration than a bonus tip.)

I hope you all enjoyed this! Seriously, take this stuff to heart! Keep practicing, and you'll be a pro if you're not already. I get to flex my conversing muscles everyday, but they really got a workout this past weekend when I hung out with a man I barely know; but that's another story... =)

Have a good day!

Pictures' citations: forbesrobbinsblair.com, dreamstime.com, phil-inmotion.blogspot.com

Point Forward Day - MJF:20

Hello, fellow humans!

I simply wanted to show my support for Magic Johnson’s "Point Forward Day" that took place today, November 7, 2011.

20 years ago, Magic Johnson, at the prime of his basketball career, made a bold move and told the world about his HIV status.

This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the Magic Johnson Foundation. To celebrate this milestone, the foundation is launching a twelve-month program of special events and activities for what will be called MJF: 20.

Most people only know about the foundation’s hand in HIV awareness, but I wanted to shed a little light on the rest of foundation’s work. HIV awareness is very important, but the foundation does more than that.

It also has Community Empowerment Centers, which gives children and adults access to computers and the training they need to compete in today’s technology-dependent world.

There is another thing that MJF does that is pretty close to me. The foundation has something called the Taylor Michaels Scholarship Program, and that gives financial support, leadership development, and mentoring to hundreds of college students each year. Some of you know that I happen to be one of those college students, and I’m telling you...the program has helped me immensely with being ready for college and life...and so on.

If you want to read up and figure out more about the foundation, visit www.magicjohnson.com/foundation.

Oh! When you go to the site and watch the video that automatically pops up, you'll see me in there if you pay attention...but that's irrelevant. =)

It would be more than awesome if you could DONATE to the foundation.

You could text “Magic” to 80888. Or, you could visit www.magicjohnson.com/foundation to donate online.

Tell your family! Tell your friends! Tell your neighbors! Tell your co-workers!

If you’re broke, at least be a little publicist by tweeting this, making a Facebook status, or saying something about this on MySpace...if you’re still on that bloody thing.

Type this up on your blog: blogspot, tumblr, wordpress...whatever you need to do to SUPPORT! SUPPORT! SUPPORT! That would be awesome.

That’s about it! Hope you have an amazing day!

A Supplement to My Favorite Quotes

Hey, readers! You can consider this post as a "Part 2" to My Favorites Quotes (thus far). Some of these quotes are motivational, some of them are funny, and some are just random. Some of these quotes are from famous people, some of them are from my friends, some are from anonymous people (or I don't know/remember who said them), and some are from myself. Some of these quotes are from movies or books. Some of these are from interviews, and some of these are simply from everyday life. Here it goes.

*I'm not going to put my friends' last names on here, just for protection purposes. I guess. If there is no last name, chances are he/she is a friend of mine.
*The movie/TV show/book a quote was taken from will be in parentheses.

"Pain is weakness leaving the body."

‎"A party's not a party unless you ache at the end of the night." -Kia

"Expectation is the bridge to disappointment." -Linda

"If ignorance is bliss, tis folly to be wise."

"Life is good when you're wearing a smile."

"This is what I live for. This is called survival. All my rivals are dead on arrival." -Ice Cube

"Thank God I found the good in goodbye." -Beyoncé

"If slaughterhouses had glass walls, we'd all be vegetarians." -Linda McCartney

"Put the shut to the up, okay? The shut to the up." -Mabel "Madea" Simmons (Madea Goes to Jail)

"The idle mind is the devil's workplace." -Ellen G. White

"Pretty won't cook a meal, and handsome won't pay the bill. Pretty covers a lot of crazy, and handsome covers a lot of lazy."

"Flattery is totally different than a sincere compliment."

"If winning isn't everything, why do they keep score?" -Vince Lombardi

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life." -Steve Jobs

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” -Coco Chanel

"Life is too short to wear boring clothes."

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." -Bill Cosby

"I am an English major. An ENGLISH major! There is no reason for me to know the structure of the brain. What is a bloody basal ganglia?!" -Nia Langley

‎"It's true what they say. You give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, but you give a man a cow and he can eat for a month, maybe more." -Hilary Banks (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)

‎"Sucks to your assmar!" -Ralph (Lord of the Flies)

“Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.” -Albert Einstein

‎"If someone says "I love you" and you dont feel the same way back say "I love youtube" real fast." -Jalen

‎"My teacher said, 'If you leave Oakwood without a husband, you only got half your money's worth.'" -Girl in my dorm

Nia: She needs to worship the rain that falls on the grass that grows on the ground he walks on.
Aliya: What if he's walking on cement?

"I never understood buffalo wings. I mean, buffalos don't have wings." -Nia Langley

"Only in America do people buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight."

"Only in America do banks leave both doors open and then chain the pens to the counters."

"Why is 'abbreviated' such a long word?"

"Why is it that doctors call what they do 'practice'?"

"Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?"

"Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?"

"If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?"

"Fall in love when you're ready, not when you're lonely."

"We're complicated now? Let me tell you what's complicated...Your mama borrowing $20. Every week. That's complicated. I feel like I got her on payroll." -Reign

"Roses are red
Violets are blue
Some poems rhyme
But this one doesn't"

‎"Pure love will never return to you void." -Old man (Why Did I Get Married Too?)

"Swallow your pride occassionally. It's non-fattening."

‎"It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for something you are not." -Andre Gide

"Going to church doesn't make you a Christian anymore than standing in a garage makes you a car."

"What part of the chicken do the nuggets come from?"

"Shout out to those times in childhood when you left your room and tried to sneak a peek to see if your toys were alive like they are in Toy Story." -Nia Langley

"Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?"

‎"I have a dream to have a dream."

"Love is many things. It's varied. One thing it is not and can never be is unsure." -Maya Angelou (Madea's Family Reunion)

‎"Today's promise is tomorrow's restraining order." -Melanie Barnett-Davis (The Game)

"Everybody makes mistakes. But don't turn a slip into a fall." -Nia Langley

"Wait. I don't understand why there's pink lemonade when there aren't pink lemons." -Nia Langley

"Men come and go, but McDonald's is forever." -Ashanti

"‎Sure God created man before woman, but then you always make a rough draft before the final masterpiece." -Raymona

"Sometimes those who fly solo have the strongest wings."

"We stopped checking for monsters under our beds when we realized they were inside of us."

"Don't let people follow you when you don't know where you're going." -Michael

"If you want someone to fall for you, trip him."

‎"Bring your street game." -Nene Leakes

‎"The reality is, I'm living my whole life just to hear two words, and that's "Well done"." -Tye Tribbett

"If you're gonna be two-faced, at least make one of them pretty."

"Silence is golden."

"So, I decided that I cried my last tear yesterday." -Mary Mary

"Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one." -Bill Gates

Did you like any of quotes from this collection? Do you have any favorite quotes? LET ME KNOW!

The Superpower Google

Last week, I was reading The Huffington Post, and one of the articles I read was entitled "In Antitrust Battle Against Google, Smaller Rivals Say Web Giant Is 'Trying To Kill Them'" by Bianca Bosker.

Google has been accused of cheating by manipulating search results to steer users to Google-owned sites and making it more unlikely that users will have reason to visit "third-party sites".

Google responded by saying that it ranks search results to deliver the best answers to its users and that it does not take action to hurt specific websites for competitive reasons. Other CEOs and entrepreneurs have described Google as "big traffic generator". These CEOs and entrepreneurs also said that they've benefited from Google launching products that would compete with their own.

I don't necessarily agree with those who are accusing Google of having anticompetitive behavior and manipulating the search results; however, I am biased because I blog via Blogger, which is owned by Google. Like some of the entrepreneurs have said, Google has been a huge contributor to the traffic to NIA SPEAKS. Thanks, Google!

But still...I can see why some people question whether or not the corporation is trying to become a monopoly. Google plays a significant role in the Internet world. I mean, the word "google" has been added as an informal verb to the dictionaries! Seriously. There's a plethora of information I probably wouldn't know if it wasn't for Google. It's the "main street" of the Internet, and it would be naïve for me to say otherwise. Almost all of the "real estate" of the Internet has been taken over by the corporation. Google powers two-thirds of all searches in the United States of America and claims three-fourths of all search ad-revenues.

I've been interested in Google's size, success, and effects on competing companies such as Bing, Yahoo, or Ask for a little while now, and this article has shown me that not everyone sees the company's dominance in a positive light.

What do you think? Do you think Google is too big?

Thanks for reading!

Majority of this information taken from huffingtonpost.com
Picture citation: google.com

Your Vacation Planner

I received an email sometime ago with a PowerPoint called "Your Vacation Planner" or something of the sort. Anyway, I wanted to show you the pictures. Sorry for the picture quality. Here it goes.

There's that beach in Japan...

Or the "Skywalk" at the Grand Canyon

If you're not afraid of heights, there's "Tema Park" in Las Vegas.

Or tennis at Dubai...

Like hiking?

Or maybe you want something tamer...like a bike ride.

I hope you enjoyed this! I start my first day of class tomorrow. YAY!

Photos' citation: http://www.slideshare.net/caldwdo/vacation-planner-2009

Ever thought about this before?

Here's part of an email that I received some time ago. Just a little something random to entertain you.

Only in America...do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front.

Only in America...do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries, and a diet coke.

Only in America...do banks leave both doors open and then chain the pens to the counters.

Only in America...do people leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage.

Only in America...do people buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight.

Only in America...do banks have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering.

EVER WONDER...

Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin?

Why women can't put on mascara with their mouth closed?

Why is 'abbreviated' such a long word?

Why is it that doctors call what they do 'practice'?

Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?

Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?

You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes? Why don't they make the whole plane out of that stuff?!

Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?

If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?

If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?

Picture citation: http://jsst-technologies.com/social-networking-sharing-too-much-personal-information-online

So long. Farewell. Auf Wiedersehen. Goodbye.

Most of you may know that The Oprah Winfrey Show came to an end yesterday. Some of you may think I'm the lamest person for this, but I was tearing up in the beginning. Oprah has been a part of my life for a long time, and I've learned many things from her.

I mean I listen to Oprah and Friends on SiriusXM Radio, my mom has a sweatshirt from going to one of her shows, almost all of The Oprah Magazines, DVDs, and so on, so when I heard that the 25th season would be her last, I was devastated.

I was somewhat relieved that she would have the Oprah Winfrey Network, but one of my goals was to be featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Ha. That's a bust. Dream killed.

But I'm not mad at her for leaving. She has every right to, I suppose. I do love hearing "Live your best life" or when she's quoting Dr. Maya Angelou's phrase "When you know better, you do better". I don't agree with everything she's said, but there are so many sayings, phrases, and insights that I've learned from her. She's shown me so many things, people, good, and bad...you get the picture.

Some of my favorite quotes from yesterday's monologue are...

"Don't wait for someone else to complete you. 'Jerry Maguire' was just a movie."

"Nobody but you is responsible for your life. You are responsible for your life. What is your life? What is all life? What is every flower, every rock, every tree? Energy. And you're responsible for the energy you create for yourself, and you're responsible for the energy that you bring to others."

I liked when she said that everyone has a platform.

"Mine is a stage in a studio. Yours is wherever you are, with your own reach."

I also LOVED how she gave God the glory for her success.

"People ask me how I made it? I say a great staff...and JESUS! Nothing but the hand of God made this possible for me, and when I say God, I mean the Alpha & the Omega. The one and only G-O-D"

"We have hooted and hollered together, had our a-ha moments, we ugly-cried together and we did our gratitude journals. So I thank you all for your support and your trust in me. I thank you for sharing this yellow brick road of blessings. ...I thank you for being as much of a sweet inspiration for me as I've tried to be for you. I won't say goodbye. I'll just say, until we meet again. To God be the glory."

At that moment, when she turned away, (again, you're gonna think I'm lame) I was straight up bawling. Oh my days. And I do not cry, so that was really something. Shoot.

If you don't care for Oprah, you can just ignore this post. Aha sorry for saying that near the end, but anyway, I emailed her today. It would be beyond awesome if I got something back from her, but I know my email is one among millions.

That's all I really wanted to say. A quick reflection and 'thank you' to Miss Oprah Winfrey.

Photo citation: oprah.com

I'm so busy that I can't even keep up with myself!

Hello, readers. I am so terribly sorry that my blogging grind is wayyyy off. I've been out of town every month doing stuff. I have forgotten how busy my life actually is. I'm still in the midst of planning parties and trips, but I have not forgotten about my fellow bloggers, readers, or subscribers. I WILL have time for you all in the next couple of weeks.

But first...SHOUT OUT to my new followers! (the ones I didn't see the last time I logged in)

lil miss Sauniya' of I Am not Perfect..!.!.!

Shamil of shamil photography

Michelle Lee of pink.lemon.in.crystal

Ayo' Zariie o__O of Life Of The Young Setter

Jennifer Jane of Pastel nude

Amy of NEW YORK EVENINGS

BIG THANKS to each and every one of you!

To any of my followers: If I have failed to follow one of your blogs back, please let me know by commenting on this post.

Also, if you want a shout out or a feature on NIA SPEAKS, feel free to email me at nialangleyspeaks@gmail.com

Now, until next time, I'm gonna leave you with this pointless, but kind of funny video...



Enjoy your day, and much love!

No Copyright Infringement Intended

I wanna be in a FLASH MOB!

Greetings readers! Sorry for being M.I.A....again. I'll get it together eventually.

Anyway, during my AHH-MAY-ZING Spring Break (which I will tell you about in greater detail in a soon-to-come post), I was introduced to the phenomenon known as the flash mob. I also had a chance to be a part of one during Spring Break, but unfortunately, I slept through the meeting time and missed out. -______- Haha figures...

Today, I'm gonna show you three examples of what flash mobs do. I would to be a part of any one of these. This is so incredible.







So,WHAT DO YOU THINK?! Pretty awesome, right? They seem like soooo much fun!

Do you have a favorite of these three? Or maybe an order of which type you would want to do from greatest to least? I'd probably want to freeze first, then dance, then sing. Haha :)

I hope you enjoyed this post, and have an awesome day!

No Copyright Infringement Intended

I just don't know...

Guys. I don't know what's going on. I mean look at that picture up there. I look crazy.

For the past hour, Blogger was saying I wasn't following any blogs...and now it's normal again. I was so confused.

I've been sore and tired all week. It's only Wednesday. I have a bunch of projects and tests and assignments and whatnot. I'm using too many "ands"...

I'm trying to learn two new pieces on my violin, and I keep forgetting to teach myself more stuff on the piano.

Every time I fall asleep before I get stuff done, I wake up the next day. Clearly, sleep and I cannot be trusted.

I don't understand.

I plan my outfits in advance, but I haven't planned tomorrow's yet.

It seems like too many of my acquaintances are going through hell.

My abs hurt like crazy right now. So do my arms. But I think I said I'm sore already.

I'm writing this post instead of doing something possibly more productive.

I'm stressed.

I shouldn't be stressed.

I'm a vegan, but my sister brought me my favorite ice cream. How could I say no? Now I feel sick-ish. This isn't good.

I desperately wanna learn how to play to the guitar. Seriously. Like this guy.

I don't mind if you leave this post to go and see the above said "this guy".

Everybody is texting me, and I don't know why. My phone is going off like a drug dealer.

I wanna know if I got the Taylor Michaels Scholarship or not.

I wanna go shopping. It's good for the soul.

I really wanna meet Oprah Winfrey, Tyra Banks, Zoë Saldana, Nia Long, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Lance Gross, Julie Andrews, Tamera Mowry, Tia Mowry-Hardrict, Corbin Bleu, Carson Kressley, Fran Drescher, Eva Marcille, Tina Campbell, Erica Campbell, Paula Patton, Linda Celeste Sims, Glenn Allen Sims, Judith Jamison...and SO many others, but I'm only naming a few. If you can work something out so I can meet one of those people, I'd love you forever.

I just felt my cheek, and I feel some pimples. Oh my days. -______-

I want to be a tad more photogenic...but at the same time, the photographer should be behind the camera anyway.

I envy dancers. But I love and respect them at the same time.

I wish I was brave enough to start dancing.

I'm playing my quad Anderson this weekend...and I've only practiced once this week =/

I'm craving the weekend. Screw the weekend. I want Spring Break. No wait...WHERE IN THE WORLD IS SUMMER?!?!

I really wanna know how to krump and tut.

I've only painted my own nails by myself once.

I'm a hat-lover. I just got some hat boxes in the mail =)

I kinda just wanna read my dictionary.

Even though I was accepted in Oakwood, I still secretly wanna go to FIT.

I wanna be a billionaire.

I want to be famous.

Ew. I don't like feet.

I had a dream that I met Linda Celeste Sims and we became best friends. When I woke up, I was depressed that it wasn't a reality. When I say depressed. I mean seriously depressed.

I wanted to buy something fabulous, but have you seen the cost of fabulous lately?! I can't just blow money...

I would like to be surrounded by musical geniuses all the time.

I don't have a perm.

My life isn't as glamorous as some people I know...

I dislike liars.

I dislike fakes.

I don't understand why people do dumb things when they know it's something foolish.

I feel like I'm using bad grammar.

I don't like corduroy pants.

I always have mints. Wherever I go. I always have to keep my breath fresh.

I always have chap-stick. In every coat pocket. In every purse. Everywhere.

I wear nonprescription glasses for fun. I have 20/20 vision.

When I'm sleepy, I start to itch.

I'm kind of itching now...

I want more followers.

I don't know why I'm doing this post.

Oh yeah...it started with the whole "I'm not following any blogs" thing...

I feel bad if this post sent out a negative vibe. I just wanted to say what's going through my head right now.

I hope you didn't mind.

I have so much more I could say, but this is enough for one post...I think.

I'm gonna plan my outfits now.

I hope you have a good day!

Way to be UNIQUE

Today I'll be sharing with you all 10 pictures of unique looking things I've found in the past week or so (not including the first picture). I'll describe them as I go, and feel free to click on the pictures to make them bigger.

1. First off, most of you know about my lego digital camera. It only has 3 megapixels, and holds 80 photos at one time. Very very cute and unique!

2. What is this? A sculpture? A giant paper airplane? I guess your partially right. This is actually a coffee table! Crazy right?! I'd love to sip some tea with this thing...

3. When I first saw this, I wasn't too sure what it was. Guess what. It's another table! It's called "Paint or Die but Love Me" by John Nouanesing. Pretty impressive, and very unique! I wonder how strong the table legs are though. I feel like I would be almost nervous to eat on it and just have it for show. Very interesting!

4. This looks like a pretty sweet water bottle. The KOR ONE Zen Water Hydration Vessel is uncontaminated, because it's made from Eastman Tritan™, which is free of bisphenol-A (BPA) (a leading toxin found in polycarbonate bottles), it has a "no-worry cap” that swivels open with a press of a button and a twist of the wrist, and in that cap lies a motivating message that you can only see when drinking from it. You can get this for $29.99

5. I had to throw this unique skew bookcase design in this post because I truly don't understand how the books stay up on this thing! I love the design, but that falling book in the picture makes it seem like the bookcase is useless. Either way, I wouldn't mind having one of these. I'd probably even put it in my party room simply because of the fun-vibe it kind of gives off.

6. YES! Look at this bow tie! A young man, who goes by the name of Mr. Talented, created this. I believe he attends/attended the Fashion Institute of Technology, and he rolled the dice before he put the tie together. I love it! Love love love it.

7. I don't know how I didn't see this earlier, but this is the Chanel Light Bulb Heel. Indeed, this is very unique. I'm not sure if I would actually wear the heel...well actually I might...maybe not. I don't know. Either way, it is an interesting idea.

8. This is the Zig-Zag Chair. What makes this chair so unique? It has no beginning or end! Can you see it? It's endless kind of like the infinity sign. Get it? Got it? Good. I wonder how comfortable this chair would be to sit in. I'm not too sure how that would work out haha.

9. This Nikon D700 Digital Camera Cake looks waayyy too good to actually eat. This is someone's birthday cake. Though I prefer Canons, I love seeing creative cakes (like on the show "Cake Boss"). Anyways, my love for creative cakes and cameras really makes me appreciate this cake. Yum! =)

10. This is a car. The Futuristic Egg-Shaped Car by Daniel Scotland. It's powered by a lithium-ion battery pack, and there's no steering wheel, as it will be maneuvered by a joystick-like device that's placed in front of the armrests. Scotland intended to develop this for the car brand Peugeot, but I don't know if he followed through with it.

So, that's it! I hope you enjoyed these pictures! Which one was your favorite?

Photos: No Copyright Infringement Intended