Happy 8th Blogiversary to BuddahDesmond’s Place!

BuddahDesmond’s Place is now 8 years old!  It’s almost hard to believe I’ve been blogging for nearly 10 years.  I was in undergrad when I first started reading blogs.  But I didn’t get serious about creating my own blog until the summer of 2005.  I was inspired by Trent Jackson, Frank Leon Roberts, Clay Cane, Keith Boykin, Frederick Smith, and Rashid Darden (to name a few).  I was taken away by this new medium of expression and the fact that it afforded new ways of sharing ideas and perspectives, fostering creativity, and building community.  At that point I knew I had to give blogging a try.  And that’s when my blog, then titled “BuddahDesmond’s Rapture,” came into fruition.

My blog serves as a symbol of my appreciation for the arts and entertainment.  It’s also a place where I share my experiences and commentary on life, love, relationships, politics, and social issues.  As the years progressed, I’ve always tried to find ways to keep it fresh.  The 101 Days Project; Weekly Musings on Life, Love, and Politics; Influences; Tributes; event reviews and author inspiration posts have continued push the blog into new bounds and challenge my skills as a writer.  It’s my mission to keep pushing myself and my platform as much as I can.

I thank you for all of the support over the years.  I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my blog as much as I’ve enjoyed creating the posts!  Feel free to check out and comment on some of the posts I’ve highlighted from the past year in the “Related Posts” section. 

Until next time… Peace, Love, and Many Blessings, BuddahDesmond!

Related Posts:
Running Into Memories: A Tribute to Vesta Williams (1957-2011)
Day 71: Nothin’ But Love for Whitney Houston
Day 78: Donna Summer – Tribute to a Bad Girl
101 Days Project is Complete!
101 Days Project: Prevail
Happy 1st Anniversary to ‘Prevail’!
Power of Love: A Contemporary Aside (from ‘Prevail’)
Influences: Maya Angelou and Her Poetry in “Poetic Justice”
Day 84: Inspiration from Toni Morrison
Influences: Billie Holiday “Lady Day”
From “Audrey Hepburn” to “Better,” Chrisette Michele is Unstoppable
Jody Watley is Still a Thrill
Day 101: Teedra Moses, The Lioness Live in DC
Black Bloggers Connect: BHM Entry | Kevin Powell – How To Make History (Event Review)
A Personal Reflection on Father’s Day
Celebrate Love Every Day (A Valentine’s Day Post)
Inaugural Poet Richard Blanco’s “One Today”
Weekly Musings on Life, Love, and Politics – Week 6
Weekly Musings on Life, Love, and Politics – Week 7
Weekly Musings on Life, Love, and Politics – Week 10

Day 70: Happy 7th Blogiversary!!!

Hello All!  Hope this post finds you well.  Looking back at my posts recently, I was happy to realize that my blog is now 7 years old!!!  For those who’ve been reading along at any point during this timeI truly, truly thank you!  
So much has changed in 7 years.  I’ve definitely grown as an individual and as a writer.  I hope to continue.  Writing has and always will be one of my passions.  My mission is to continue to challenge myself creatively and take it (along with my other talents and skills) as far as I can go.  One of my crowning achievements is having my first book, Prevail: Poems on Life, Love, and Politics, published.  There’s a lot of work still to do, as this journey is just beginning.  I have no choice but to make it possible, positive, and productive. I look forward to sharing it with you.
If you haven’t done so yet, check out Prevail, “Like” the Facebook page, and follow me on Twitter.  Also check out some of my favorite posts over the past 7 years:
  1. On Marriage…  
  2. The Best Thing, My Love
  3. Current Loves (Of Music That Is)
  4. H-A-P-P-Y
  5. Politricking
  6. Phyllis Hyman Posts a) The P/H Factor: Phyllis Hyman – Tribute to a Sophisticated Lady  b) Day 66: Happy Birthday Phyllis Hyman
  7. Luther Vandross Posts a) Luther Is Love b) Day 67: Remembering Luther Vandross
  8. Time Waits (For No One)
  9. All 4 Janet.
  10. Day 5: Oprah – The End of One Era, The Beginning of a New Era 
  11. Day 17: No More
  12. Day 39: OUT (Written in Honor of National Coming Out Day)
  13. Day 40 – Just Jill: Words & Sounds Live
  14. Day 69: Angela Bofill
Peace, Love, & Many Blessings,
BuddahDesmond

Blogiversary + Interview + Reviews

Wassup Blogworld?!! Hope everything is cool. It’s been a minute since I’ve updated. Life has been keeping me busy personally and professionally. Things are going well though. I’ve been so busy I missed my own 4-year Blogiversary. Happy Blogiversary to BuddahDesmond’s Rapture! Can’t believe it’s been that long. Lots of life changes since then (all for the better – thank god). But one thing’s for sure – I’m much happier now than I was when I started blogging. I feel so much stronger, wiser, and better about various facets of myself and my life. It’s an ongoing process. The internal work is never seems to be done. Even when it’s all good there’s always room for improvement. As I reminisce, I may update this post with links to some of my favorite posts over the last few years.

Be sure to check out my interview on the Encore Status Entertainment website with indie singer/songwriter/performer Lafonda a.k.a. The Bronx Bombshell. Also, check out my review of Maxwell’s BLACKsummers’night and Vanessa Williams’s The Real Thing on the Pictures and Frames website.

Until next time, be safe. Have a great weekend!

~ BuddahDesmond

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Now playing: Chrisette Michele – Epiphany
via FoxyTunes

Traveling, Traveling + 3rd Blogiversary!!!

Greetings! Hope you’re somewhere cool – trying to beat the heat. I’m chillin’. Just got back from Dallas. My team is conducting field research for a project and will be traveling for most of this month. Aside from Dallas, we’ve been to Chicago and Tampa. We’ll be going to Phoenix and San Diego next week. I’ve been to San Diego before (a beautiful place) but I’ve never been to Phoenix. I’m not sure I’ll be able to beat the heat in Phoenix (with 100+ degree temperatures – I can feel my skin burning now – LOL!) but I’ll enjoy it as much as our schedule will allow. Though, I am grateful to have a job that affords the opportunities to travel, I must admit – traveling is very exhausting. I feel like I’m going to need a vacation just to recuperate from living out a suitcase these last few weeks. LOL! But it beats being stuck behind a computer in a cubicle everyday. Change of scenery is always a great thing.

And I’m happy to announce BuddahDesmond’s Rapture is celebrating its 3rd anniversary this month! I can’t believe I’ve been blogging this long. So much has changed in my life both personally and professionally. And I’ve written about a range of topics and issues and still have much more to discuss. In honor of this celebration, I’d like to highlight some of my favorite posts over the years. Feel free to take a gander at these and any other posts:

  1. The P/H Factor – Phyllis Hyman: Tribute to a Sophisticated Lady
  2. I Walked Away
  3. 26 Y.O. + Still Learning
  4. Politricking
  5. H-A-P-P-Y
  6. Current Loves (of Music That Is)
  7. On Marriage
  8. When Hate Kills
  9. And Then The Music Slumped
  10. Luther Is Love

Other sites to checkout:

  1. Pictures and Frames Magazine (I have poetry and music reviews of Chante Moore’s Love the Woman and Craig David’s Trust Me.)
  2. Encore Status (This is the blog for an up-and-coming online magazine of the same name devoted to giving mainstream-like exposure to underground artists, musicians, fashion designers, and filmmakers.)
  3. Melange – the Encore Status Mixtape, Vol. 1 (Tired of Top 40 radio? Need something new and different? Then Melange may be right for you!)

Until next time…. Peace, Love, & Many Blessings!

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Now playing: Common – Southside (featuring Kanye West)
via FoxyTunes

BuddahDesmond’s Rapture – 1st Anniversary!!!

Wow…. I’ve been blogging for one year. Time sure does have a way of escaping you. So much has happened. Where to begin? Well, I successfully completed all of the classes for my masters and graduated. I started writing as a music reviewer for my school magazine and for my friend Lily’s online magazine Pictures and Frames (I’ve been on a hiatus though due to school and trying to find my first real job). I received several certificates and rewards for the time, service and contributions I’ve made to my school over the last six years. I’ve grown so much closer to many members of my family and to friends. I’ve found a new love (going strong for eight months now). After almost six years, I cut off my dreads. And I’ve begun the ongoing mission of freeing myself from all the things that used to tie me down. I know I’ve probably forgotten some things but that’s a pretty good summary.

As for the next phase, let’s see…. Continuing on with my mission of physical fitness (not only losing weight but striving to be healthier in general). Starting my new job as an Application Systems Analyst in the next three weeks (I’m excited)! I get to go back home. (You know, it doesn’t matter where you go or how long you stay there. Nothing beats home.) Finding and then moving into my own apartment. Continuing to write one (if not both) of the novels I’ve been neglecting. As always more poetry. Hopefully some performances in and around the DC area. Making some new friends, catching up with some old ones. And becoming a better blogger. And whatever else comes up. Oh yeah, and I can’t forget about this one…. Taking a real vacation–away from everything (I don’t even want to take my laptop, let alone my cellphone).

You know I’ve actually been so busy that I missed the true one-year anniversary of my blog…. The real date was July 10th…. But as they say, it’s better late than never! A celebration is a celebration! Oh well, sleep calls…. Got to go to the gym in the morning!

Hot Summertime Fun, Peace and Love to all!

Let’s Get It Started!


So I’ve finally done it! After reading and admiring so many blogs, I now have a blog to call my own. Welcome to BuddahDesmond’s Rapture! Here is where I hope to discuss my many fascinations, passions, and thoughts. As you will find out, my postings will touch on a wide variety of topics–such as entertainment, art, technology, social issues, and everyday living to name a few. From time to time I may post music reviews and some of my creative writing. There will definitely be posts detailing interesting events from this crazy life of mine. At times personal. At times insane. At times vulgar and humorous. At times somber and detached. But always in some state of rapture. Come again to BuddahDesmond’s Rapture!