2009 is just around the corner and it’s that time again to pick the VERY BEST of 2008.

Last year I got a lot of flack for my choice for Best Female Artist of the Year. So this year I’m going to let you vote for your choice for Best Female Artist of the Year.

I will post your winner plus the winners in all categories tomorrow.

Once again, thanks to all my readers for a great year! Sandrarose.com would be nothing without YOU!

It looks like the new biopic Notorious is headed to theaters on Jan. 16, rather than the DVD bin.

I still don’t see Biggie in Gravy or Puffy in Derek Luke. As an actor, Gravy is just not convincing, and I must remind myself who Luke is supposed to be portraying.

But this movie serves its purpose as a vehicle to document the rise and fall of rap’s Premier GOAT. I just think it would be better suited for HBO or VH1.

In addition to the always spot-on acting of actress Angela Bassett as Biggie’s mom, Voletta Wallace, the film marks the big screen acting debut of little Taylor Dior, who plays Biggie’s daughter, T’yanna.

If you recall, little Taylor’s adult hairstyle unexpectedly thrust her into the national blogosphere spotlight earlier this year (LINK).

Taylor’s mom Chavon is an active member of the Sandrarose.com community!

From Haaretz.com:

The yacht carrying former US Congresscritter and Green Party Presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney tried to outmaneuver an Israeli navy gunboat off Gaza early Tuesday morning. The yacht rammed into the Israeli gunboat, which then turned it around and sent it back to Cyprus.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said the boat ignored an Israeli radio order to turn back early Tuesday. He said the boat tried to outmaneuver the navy ship and crashed into it, lightly damaging both vessels. The navy then escorted the boat to the territorial waters of Cyprus.

Protest boat organizer Derek Graham said the Israeli ship “rammed” the protest boat.
According to the ‘Free Gaza’ website of the boat’s organizers (which I will not grace with a link), the boat is now headed to ’safety’ in Lebanon. (LINK)

Denver Nuggets stars Carmelo Anthony and Kenyon Martin partied without their women at the Velvet Room in Tucker Sunday night before losing to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night 109-91.

The win gave the Hawks an eight-game homestand, its longest of the season, with only one loss to Boston.

Its also the first time since the 1987-88 season that the Hawks won 20-games before the New Year.

Still, Carmelo and Kenyon partied like it was 2009 on Sunday night. Well-dressed females hovered nearby hoping for that subtle eye contact that might signal something more after the party. But Carmelo and Kenyon weren’t having it!

Security kept the single women at a comfortable distance, and the guys were on their best behavior — at least inside the club.

Photos by ATL PICS

Carmelo and club promoter Alex Gidewon

Photos by ATL PICS

Pharrell Williams unveiled his new BBC/ Ice Cream Season 8 Collection with a photo shoot on his blog.

Obviously Pharrell’s clothes aren’t geared toward you or anybody you know. Especially since his pieces comes with a ridiculous price tag attached. Are we still in a recession?

The BBC/ Ice Cream collection is designed to compete with Abercrombie & Fitch and other retailers that appeal to the non-hip hop, skateboard crowd.

Click here to see more from the collection.

Many thanks to Gina of What About Our Daughters blog for sending this video link detailing past fundraising efforts by officials at Morris Brown College.

As you know, the only black-run college in the country is in deep debt to the tune of $30 million. The school is without water due to an outstanding $380,000 water bill, and may be forced to close its doors next week.

MBC has never closed its doors in its illustrious 127 year history.

It would be a shame to let the greed of a few college administrators run Morris Brown into the ground after 127 years of educating some of our best and brightest.

In the video, it is noted that MBC graduated more CPAs than any other HBCU. One of the school’s graduates is now a billionaire car dealer.

The school needs our support (bloggers, stand up!)

Whatever your opinions are of the school’s derelict administration — we can’t turn our backs on the kids who chose this HBCU to further their education.

A misguided youth who found himself in the national spotlight as a kind of poster boy for teen justice, is in trouble again.

Mychal Bell was the ringleader for the so-called ‘Jena 6′, a gang of black toughs out of Jena, Louisiana who some thought were unjustly incarcerated for beating another boy within an inch of his life.

Police say Bell shot himself in the chest yesterday after getting caught shoplifting on Christmas eve.

Doctors who treated bell say the wound is not life-threatening. Bell had surgery last night to remove the bullet.

According to Bell’s lawyer, the shooting was accidental and occurred when the 18-year-old was cleaning his gun. The lawyer didn’t say why a convicted felon was handling a gun but I’m sure he will think of some excuse.

Bell has been living in Monroe, Louisiana, a rural town about 70 miles north of Jena, with a foster family since agreeing to a plea bargain on the assault charges last December.

Bell was the only teen of the six to be sentenced for the brutal attack on a classmate in Jena in 2006. The plea bargain kept him out of jail, but he is still in custody of the Louisiana justice system.

Bell attends high school in Monroe where he carries a 3.0 grade point average.

Can someone tell me why one of America’s most revered historically black colleges has to beg for change to get the water cut back on?

This weekend a rally was held to help Morris Brown College collect money to pay for a $380,000 water bill.

The school collected a paltry $70,000 toward the water bill. Water service was shut off by the city of Atlanta last week for non-payment and the 127-year-old college is about $30 million in debt.

One of the school’s building’s is scheduled for foreclosure on Jan. 6.

The school’s 400 students are currently out on break. But if the water isn’t cut back on when they return to classes next week, the school may be forced to shut down.

Where are the Morris Brown alumni with their checkbooks?

Where are the local celebrities who drive $400,000 cars and make it rain on them h*s every weekend?

This is shameful! You have selfish people like Sean Combs willing to pay the city of New York $1 million to paint the New Year’s Eve ball purple to promote liquor — but he can’t reach into his pockets to save a historically black college?

Obviously there is gross mismanagement of funds by the board members if the school is $30 million in debt.

I’ll have more insider information on this mess tomorrow

It’s all about the purse! Tiny was rockin’ her Louis Vuitton canvas Cruise 2009 bag at Rocko Da Don’s birthday party at Straits last night.

The very popular Cruise 2009 is coated canvas with smooth black leather trim and polished gold metal hardware. The bag features interior flat pocket for cell phone and other small items.

Louis Vuitton pays strict attention to details like the gold zip closure with signature padlock pull and vintage 1929 logo from the Louis Vuitton archives.

$2,420.00

LOUIS VUITTON Cruise 2009
BUY IT!

Photo by Tammie of Talking With Tami Blog

Loyal reader L wrote in to express her dismay at the comments under my post titled “Put ‘Em On Blast: Rolling Out TV” (LINK):

Hi Sandra,

I came across your blog today after looking up some info on an old musician. I decided to look at your current postings and saw all the beautiful Christmas photos. Then I saw that video. It was heartbreaking and hard to watch. I know people are supposed to be grateful for being given gifts when they can’t afford to buy their own. But I can also see how this could be someone’s breaking point, as you put it. Perhaps mommy really needed her children to believe that she and their community would provide that day.

There are women feeling like that all the time, and they react in all kinds of ways. They have my sympathy.

But that’s not my real point. My heart really dropped when I realized that none of the commenters understood why you posted the video or why PBrown was so upset about what Rolling Out TV had done — even though the letter accompanying the video was very explicit. No one read it. Or if they did no one cared about the point being made. Which to me means no one cared about the bigger harm done to the community and consumed the story as it was fed to them, as they are used to doing.

READ MORE… »

We can see where Rocko gets his charming good looks from!

Tiny looked stunning as usual!

Bloggers and Sandrarose.com members ATLien (left) and Necole Bitchie

Shawty Lo’s wife shows the quickest way to a man’s heart (and wallet)

Local Flavor from Decatur

Photos by ExclusiveAccess.net

Some of you ladies have been very hard on my Morning Wood men here lately. It seems I can’t post a decent Morning wood without getting complaints from ungrateful readers.

Well, one of my loyal readers says Breyz will shut all that down. She said if you ladies don’t find Breyz sexy, maybe you need to leave the DL brothas alone so you’ll recognize a real man when you see one!

Breyz is pronounced ‘breeze’ and he is the perfect package: he’s tall, sexy, handsome, an entrepreneur and a fitness trainer. Oh, and he dabbles in modeling and he’s a decent rapper too!

Did I say he lives in Atlanta?

Check out his Myspace page (LINK).

READ MORE… »

I’ve been saying all year that Rihanna was way ahead of her competition in terms of personal style and trend setting.

It looks like BET was paying attention!

From BET.com:

Rihanna is the ultimate style icon. The girl knows fashion, but she never looks like she’s trying too hard. That’s why we’re honoring her as 2008’s Fashion Icon of the Year.

“Growing up, I wore my brother’s clothes, dresses with sneakers, or no shoes at all … I own over 100 pairs of shoes now.” (LINK)

Congrats to Rihanna!

BeYAWNce just won’t quit! With 22 days left before the nation witnesses the swearing in of the 44th president, Bey is pulling out all stops to get herself invited to the inauguration.

In what has to be her most blatant attempt yet to get Barack Hussein Obama’s attention, she has released a track titled “God Bless the U.S.A.” or “Proud to be An American.”

As usual, she screams all over the track, annihilating it with her screeching oversinging.

When will she finally realize they don’t want her there?

LISTEN: Beyonce - Proud To Be An American

(Source)

Unlike a Beyonce or Destiny’s Child video, I was able to watch this video in its entirety from beginning to end.

It was a pleasure to watch three beautiful brown girls so in tune with their own natural beauty. Especially in this day and age when 100% pure black women are noticeably absent from music videos, television and films.

Images like these aren’t what the Jewish run music industry and media wants us to see.

Thanks to loyal reader bellaprincess2007 for sending this in!