#Melissa Payne

[dailyquotes6563]

The truth was that life was unfair and unkind and full of broken promises.

Melissa Payne, The Night Of Many Endings

[booksteacupandreviews]

A Light in the Forest by Melissa Payne - heartbreaking small-town fiction

#ALightintheForest by #MelissaPayne is emotive, touching, and heartbreaking #smalltown #fiction with gripping plot and lots of heavy topics. check out #bookreview on #Booksteacupandreviews ⬇️

A Light in the Forest is emotive, touching, and heartbreaking small-town fiction with gripping plot and lots of heavy topics. A Light in the Forest by Melissa Payne Publication Date : December 13, 2022 Publisher : Lake Union Publishing Read Date : November 18, 2022 Genre : Fiction Pages : 332 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4 out of 5. Tea for this book : Ginger Honey + Peppermint Tea Disclaimer – Many…

[be-the-glenn-to-my-maggie]

The cats reporting to The Cat King when Monty kissed Edwin:

[inkwell-illustrations]

What's your favorite wlw ship, mlm ship & straight ship? (and what's your NOTP :3)

My favorite wlw ship is Tatiana x Barb (spies are forever)

My favorite mlm ship is Edwin x Charles (dead boy detectives)

And my favorite straight ship is Paul x Emma (the guy who Didnt like musicals)

Lastly I have too many NOTP's so I'm just gonna list some of them!

Charles x Crystal

Edwin x Niko

Edwin x Charles x Crystal

ANYONE (except women) x Melissa (tgwdlm)

The Cat King x Monty

[gameofthunder66]

The Walking Dead (2010-2022) tv series

-(finished) watchin' Season 4- 5/18/2024-4 [1/4] stars- on Netflix (AMC)

79% Rotten Tomatoes

[callmeblake]

L.S. Dunes in November, 2022 (X)

Photo Credit: Mark Beemer

[blackwoolncrown]

Reading list for Afro-Herbalism:

A Healing Grove: African Tree Remedies and Rituals for the Body and Spirit by Stephanie Rose Bird

Affrilachia: Poems by Frank X Walker

African American Medicine in Washington, D.C.: Healing the Capital During the Civil War Era by Heather Butts

African American Midwifery in the South: Dialogues of Birth, Race, and Memory by Gertrude Jacinta Fraser

African American Slave Medicine: Herbal and Non-Herbal Treatments by Herbert Covey

African Ethnobotany in the Americas edited by Robert Voeks and John Rashford

Africanisms in the Gullah Dialect by Lorenzo Dow Turner

Africans and Native Americans: The Language of Race and the Evolution of Red-Black Peoples by Jack Forbes

African Medicine: A Complete Guide to Yoruba Healing Science and African Herbal Remedies by Dr. Tariq M. Sawandi, PhD

Afro-Vegan: Farm-Fresh, African, Caribbean, and Southern Flavors Remixed by Bryant Terry

Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo” by Zora Neale Hurston

Big Mama’s Back in the Kitchen by Charlene Johnson

Big Mama’s Old Black Pot by Ethel Dixon

Black Belief: Folk Beliefs of Blacks in America and West Africa by Henry H. Mitchell

Black Diamonds, Vol. 1 No. 1 and Vol. 1 Nos. 2–3 edited by Edward J. Cabbell

Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors by Carolyn Finney

Black Food Geographies: Race, Self-Reliance, and Food Access in Washington, D.C. by Ashanté M. Reese

Black Indian Slave Narratives edited by Patrick Minges

Black Magic: Religion and the African American Conjuring Tradition by Yvonne P. Chireau

Black Nature: Four Centuries of African American Nature Poetry edited by Camille T. Dungy

Blacks in Appalachia edited by William Turner and Edward J. Cabbell

Caribbean Vegan: Meat-Free, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free Authentic Island Cuisine for Every Occasion by Taymer Mason

Dreams of Africa in Alabama: The Slave Ship Clotilda and the Story of the Last Africans Brought to America by Sylviane Diouf

Faith, Health, and Healing in African American Life by Emilie Townes and Stephanie Y. Mitchem

Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm’s Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land by Leah Penniman

Folk Wisdom and Mother Wit: John Lee – An African American Herbal Healer by John Lee and Arvilla Payne-Jackson

Four Seasons of Mojo: An Herbal Guide to Natural Living by Stephanie Rose Bird

Freedom Farmers: Agricultural Resistance and the Black Freedom Movement by Monica White

Fruits of the Harvest: Recipes to Celebrate Kwanzaa and Other Holidays by Eric Copage

George Washington Carver by Tonya Bolden

George Washington Carver: In His Own Words edited by Gary Kremer

God, Dr. Buzzard, and the Bolito Man: A Saltwater Geechee Talks About Life on Sapelo Island, Georgia by Cornelia Bailey

Gone Home: Race and Roots through Appalachia by Karida Brown

Ethno-Botany of the Black Americans by William Ed Grime

Gullah Cuisine: By Land and by Sea by Charlotte Jenkins and William Baldwin

Gullah Culture in America by Emory Shaw Campbell and Wilbur Cross

Gullah/Geechee: Africa’s Seeds in the Winds of the Diaspora-St. Helena’s Serenity by Queen Quet Marquetta Goodwine

High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America by Jessica Harris and Maya Angelou

Homecoming: The Story of African-American Farmers by Charlene Gilbert

Hoodoo Medicine: Gullah Herbal Remedies by Faith Mitchell

Jambalaya: The Natural Woman’s Book of Personal Charms and Practical Rituals by Luisah Teish

Just Medicine: A Cure for Racial Inequality in American Health Care by Dayna Bowen Matthew

Leaves of Green: A Handbook of Herbal Remedies by Maude E. Scott

Like a Weaving: References and Resources on Black Appalachians by Edward J. Cabbell

Listen to Me Good: The Story of an Alabama Midwife by Margaret Charles Smith and Linda Janet Holmes

Making Gullah: A History of Sapelo Islanders, Race, and the American Imagination by Melissa Cooper

Mandy’s Favorite Louisiana Recipes by Natalie V. Scott

Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by Harriet Washington

Mojo Workin’: The Old African American Hoodoo System by Katrina Hazzard-Donald

Motherwit: An Alabama Midwife’s Story by Onnie Lee Logan as told to Katherine Clark

My Bag Was Always Packed: The Life and Times of a Virginia Midwife by Claudine Curry Smith and Mildred Hopkins Baker Roberson

My Face Is Black Is True: Callie House and the Struggle for Ex-Slave Reparations by Mary Frances Berry

My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem

On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker by A'Lelia Bundles

Papa Jim’s Herbal Magic Workbook by Papa Jim

Places for the Spirit: Traditional African American Gardens by Vaughn Sills (Photographer), Hilton Als (Foreword), Lowry Pei (Introduction)

Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome by Dr. Joy DeGruy

Rooted in the Earth: Reclaiming the African American Environmental Heritage by Diane Glave

Rufus Estes’ Good Things to Eat: The First Cookbook by an African-American Chef by Rufus Estes

Secret Doctors: Ethnomedicine of African Americans by Wonda Fontenot

Sex, Sickness, and Slavery: Illness in the Antebellum South by Marli Weiner with Mayzie Hough

Slavery’s Exiles: The Story of the American Maroons by Sylviane Diouf

Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time by Adrian Miller

Spirituality and the Black Helping Tradition in Social Work by Elmer P. Martin Jr. and Joanne Mitchell Martin

Sticks, Stones, Roots & Bones: Hoodoo, Mojo & Conjuring with Herbs by Stephanie Rose Bird

The African-American Heritage Cookbook: Traditional Recipes and Fond Remembrances from Alabama’s Renowned Tuskegee Institute by Carolyn Quick Tillery

The Black Family Reunion Cookbook (Recipes and Food Memories from the National Council of Negro Women) edited by Libby Clark

The Conjure Woman and Other Conjure Tales by Charles Chesnutt

The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature by J. Drew Lanham

The Jemima Code: Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks by Toni Tipton-Martin

The President’s Kitchen Cabinet: The Story of the African Americans Who Have Fed Our First Families, from the Washingtons to the Obamas by Adrian Miller

The Taste of Country Cooking: The 30th Anniversary Edition of a Great Classic Southern Cookbook by Edna Lewis

The Tuskegee Syphilis Study: An Insiders’ Account of the Shocking Medical Experiment Conducted by Government Doctors Against African American Men by Fred D. Gray

Trace: Memory, History, Race, and the American Landscape by Lauret E. Savoy

Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine by Bryant Terry

Vibration Cooking: Or, The Travel Notes of a Geechee Girl by Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor

Voodoo and Hoodoo: The Craft as Revealed by Traditional Practitioners by Jim Haskins

When Roots Die: Endangered Traditions on the Sea Islands by Patricia Jones-Jackson

Working Conjure: A Guide to Hoodoo Folk Magic by Hoodoo Sen Moise

Working the Roots: Over 400 Years of Traditional African American Healing by Michelle Lee

Wurkn Dem Rootz: Ancestral Hoodoo by Medicine Man

Zora Neale Hurston: Folklore, Memoirs, and Other Writings: Mules and Men, Tell My Horse, Dust Tracks on a Road, Selected Articles by Zora Neale Hurston

The Ways of Herbalism in the African World with Olatokunboh Obasi MSc, RH (webinar via The American Herbalists Guild)

[welldressedllama]

Top 10 Ships Involving POC in 10 Different Fandoms (round 3)

Thanks for tagging me @blairwaldcrf!

Once again, these are in no particular order.

1 - Kanthony - Kathani "Kate" Sharma and Anthony Bridgerton, "Bridgerton"

2 - Valevans - Kyle Valenti and Max Evans, "Roswell, New Mexico"

3 - Paynland/Payneland - Charles Rowland and Edwin Payne, "Dead Boy Detectives"

4 - Spelivia - Spencer James and Olivia Baker, "All American"

5 - Bamon - Bonnie Bennett and Damon Salvatore, "The Vampire Diaries"

6 - Fayelissa - Melissa Glaser and Faye Chamberlain, "The Secret Circle"

7 - Devon x Conrad (Devrad??) - Devon Pravesh and Conrad Hawkins, "The Resident"

8 - SamBucky - Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes, Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)

9 - Gilijah/Eligia - Gia and Elijah Mikaelson, "The Originals"

10 - The Plastics Posse - Jackson Avery and Mark Sloan, "Grey's Anatomy"

I'm tagging @a-lil-bi-furious, @dr-lizortecho, and anyone else who'd like to do it. Cheers!

[chaotic-catholic]

My Poppy Playtime Logic AU ships

My AU is a crossover with Mickey Mouse (comics/Mix-Up Adventures), BATIM and Cartoon Cat btw :)

StarStudent ⭐️💡 : KickinChicken (Wyatt O'Hara) x Bubba Bubbaphant (Alvin Pickett)

AppleLove 🍎❤️ : PickyPiggy (Olivia "Via O'Hara) x Bobby Bearhug (Amanda "Mandy" Wugson)

SunFlower ☀️🌻 : DogDay (Cyrus O'Hara) x CraftyCorn (Calista "Cali" Boulder)

ThunderDrop ⚡️💧 : Hoppy Hopscotch (Megan Boulder) x Frowny Fox (Todd Hunnie)

MoonCow 🔔🌙 : Molly McMoo (Serena Hunnie) x CatNap (Theodore "Theo" Wugson)

[I no longer ship the Smiling Critters out of respect for the lead artist's wishes to not ship them :)]

Kiss&hug 🩷💙 : Kissy Missy (Melissa "Missy" Kissinger) x Huggy Wuggy (Huggard Wugson). Besides Bobby Bearhug, CatNap and Poppy they also adopted Amethyst (oc), Lime, Lemon, Rose, Iris (Mini Huggies) and Thierry (Xavier's son)

SpiderParents 🕷🩷💙 : Mommy Long Legs (Marie "Molly" Payne) x Daddy Long Legs (John Clerck). Sissy Long Legs (Cindy) is part of the family along side Brother Long Legs/GT Baby Long Legs (Carlson) and canon Baby Long Legs (Jasper)

JokingFlower 🦕 🌼 : Bron (Thomas Clarke) x Daisy Green. They adopted Bunzo Bunny (Buddy) and Baby Bunzo (Kazi), Buddy is 15 years and got the job to pay his top surgery

MusicBox 💛❤️ : Boxy Boo (Bobbi Turner) x Box She Boo (Barbara "Barbie" Rutter). Roxy, Soxy and Paul are their children rather than Boxy Boo's younger sibling figures

LoveHoney : 💚🍯 : Love Bug (Liliana "Lili" Bianca Payne) x Lilly the Frog (Pamela Hunnie). Molly and Cathy took the news of becoming stepsisters suprisingly well

CandyBee 🍬🐝 : Candy Cat (Candace Caisley) x Cat-Bee (Catherine "Cathy" Beatrice Hunnie). Besides Molly McMoo and Frowny Fox they also adopted Clever Claws (Leo), Jolly Jaws (Sunny), Silly Shelly (Darell) and Jerry Giraffe (Edric)

LoveMic 💜🎤 : Lovey Dovey (Lovina "Lovey" Dove Kissinger) x Billy Beagle. They have a baby daughter named Holly

FlowerCat 🌸🐈 : Amethyst "Amy" Wugson x Sylvester "Sly" Catt. Amy was originally named Lilac because I thought that was the color I'll get if I mix up Huggy and Kissy's color (Gametoons version) but I was mistaken and found a flower named Amethyst. Amy is genderqueer (any pronouns)

AcidicMusic 🍋🎵 : Lemon Wugson x Melody Radeville. Radeville because her greatuncle is Mortimer Radeville

LimeSpot 💚🖤 : Lime Wugson x Bucky Blackspot. He has two other brother Barry and Barty. Lime is demi-girl (she/they)

PenMill 🖤💜 : Penelope "Penny" Blackspot x Melinda "Millie" Radeville. Penny is genderfluid (any pronouns)

They plenty more but I'm gonna stop there

[heartembrace]

I wish there was an American Auto roleplay fandom because Melissa being Katherine's psychiatrist would be hilarious

I imagine Katherine would hate their sessions at first, especially since they remind her of couples counselling with Richard, but she starts to hate them less when she realises how frequently Melissa compliments and agrees with her. Also she enjoys getting to talk to someone where the only topic is herself, even if she has to pay lots of money to do so.

I'm aware that Arkham Asylum and Payne Motors are nowhere near each other but Katherine will find a way to use the private jet shown in episode six.

Katherine: How am I meant to take a mental health day if I'm surrounded by people who piss me off?! If you actually expect me to take therapy, I'll need the private jet.

Board member: You can't find a psychiatrist in Detroit?

Katherine (hadn't thought of that): ... Not any good ones!

And since the height of Katherine's ego makes up for her physical height (making myself laugh with that one), she would never admit to seeing a psychiatrist, let alone one who works in a mental asylum, so I headcanon that Melissa is code for Mumbai.

I literally thought of that while at musical theatre choir practice and whispered excitedly to myself, "Because of the letters!!!"

Putting the quotes I came up with for Katherine and Melissa under a read more 'cause there's heaps

Katherine (slamming her hand on Melissa's desk): The board of directors want me to take therapy, I don't know why. I did some research and you were the first psychiatrist I found who didn't sound like a quack, plus you're a woman so you can relate to the whole female in a male-dominated career, glass ceiling nonsense.

Melissa: I'd probably relate to it more if you didn't call it nonsense.

Katherine: While I'm sure this is going to be a complete waste of time for both of us, the board will take any excuse to replace me and I am this close to getting fired.

Melissa: Your fingers are touching.

Katherine: Exactly. So here's how this is going to go - I am going to pay you a stupid amount of money to give me whatever drugs I need to keep the board members at bay. Got it?

Melissa: There's a bit more to it than that, and I admire your enthusiasm, I don't know how much research you did -

Katherine: Just a quick Google search.

Melissa: *nods in 'I had to learn how to do in-text and end-text referencing and this CEO couldn't be bothered to look at one full website* But I treat criminals and the criminally insane. I would love to help but you're talking to the wrong person.

Katherine (deadpan): Who do you want me to murder?

Melissa: What?!

Katherine: *slides over money* Will this change your mind?

Melissa: Bribery isn't - *adds up amount, raises eyebrows* I'm sure Arkham would never turn down funding for better resources.

Katherine: If I have to be honest with you, this should be a two-way street. You're going to spend the money on a holiday or something, aren't you?

Melissa (honestly): No, I'm going to give it to the asylum.

Katherine: Then you're an idiot.

Melissa: *Sliding money back* I can always change my mind again.

Katherine: And Sadie said she wasn't sure about that.

Katherine: *sliding money back* Point taken.

Melissa: That's dumb, you could easily pass for 38.

Katherine: Thank you!

Katherine: ... You're not just saying that 'cause I'm paying you, right?

Melissa (honestly): Nope, that is my genuine and unbiased opinion.

Katherine: I'll take your word for it. To be fair, I've had a bit of work done over the years. (realises) Wow, you're good! You didn't have to say anything and you've got me spilling my darkest secrets.

Melissa: There's no shame in having plastic surgery or Botox but thank you for trusting me enough to admit that you've had at least one of those. Also I appreciate that you think I'm good at my job. Let's see what else I can get you to divulge.

Katherine: Let's not, I don't need another lawsuit on my hands. (realises) Shit!

(at the beginning of a session)

Melissa: How's your week been?

Melissa: *hugging Katherine*

Katherine: Fine. Uneventful. Oh, Richard wants to divorce me, so that's something.

(ten minutes later)

Katherine (in tears): And he is such an asshole but I can't get over him calling me selfish.

Katherine (as they're walking to Melissa's apartment): I swear that waiter only asked for your ID to mock me.

Melissa: We should really spend a session talking about your fear of aging and belief that everyone's out to get you.

Katherine: I would rather die.

Melissa: Okay.

Katherine: Also I never mentioned a fear of aging, you don't know what you're talking about.

Melissa: I'd ask if you'd looked in the mirror lately but that would be rude.

Katherine: Why? Are you saying that I look old?

Melissa: No, but the fact that you had to ask me that only proves my theory.

Katherine: That kind of trickery is why there are so many negative terms for psychiatrist.

Melissa: I wasn't intending to trick you.

Katherine: Bull. Shit.

Melissa: I'm sorry that that's how I came across.

Katherine: *checks her reflection in a window and pulls back the skin of her face*

Melissa: I saw that.

Katherine: *raises her middle finger behind Melissa's back*

Melissa: That too.

Katherine: I hate you so much.

Melissa: That's why you're my favourite client. 😊 

Katherine: Kiss-ass.

Melissa: Cougar.

Katherine: I insult people on a daily basis, I can play this game much longer than you.

Melissa: You want a bet? *winces* Sorry, poor choice of words, I forgot about your gambling problem.

Katherine: It's only a gambling problem if I'm losing.

Melissa: You know that's something an addict would say, right?

Katherine: You know that's something a fuckwit would say, right?

[glamrpevents]

Hailey Baldwin • Sebastian Stan • Justin Bieber

Tom Holland • Zendaya Coleman • Mason Gooding

Taylor Swift • Travis Kelce • Jake Gyllenhaal

Sabrina Carpenter • Rudy Pankow • Barry Keoghan

Niall Horan • Liam Payne • Kylie Jenner

Sydney Sweeney • Jacob Elordi • Luke Hemmings

Nick Jonas • Romee Strijd • Chris Evans

Zayn Malik • Perrie Edwards • Hunter Schaefer

Gigi Hadid • Ryan Gosling • Joe Jonas

Blake Lively • Ryan Reynolds • Aaron Tveit

Shawn Mendes • Barbara Palvin • Madison Beer

Drew Starkey • Madison Bailey • Odessa A'zion

Madelyn Cline • Aaron Johnson • Ella Purnell

Dua Lipa • Callum Turner • Anwar Hadid

Bella Hadid • Abel Tesfaye • Selena Gomez

Chris Hemsworth • Candice Swanepoel •

Joe Keery • Camila Morrone • Renee Rapp

Dylan O'Brien • Hailee Steinfeld • Cindy Kimberly

Hayley Williams • Glenn Powell • Ana de Armas

Margot Robbie • Pedro Pascal • Melissa Barrera

Louis Tomlinson • Danielle Campbell • Elizabeth Olsen

Jennifer Lawrence • Charles Melton • Alexa Demie

Florence Pugh • Andrew Garfield • Anya-Taylor Joy

Kendall Jenner • Harry Styles • Theo James

Henry Cavill • Kim Kardashian • Sophie Turner

Nicholas Galitzine • Taylor Zakhar Perez • Jessica Alexander

Jeremy Allen White • Dove Cameron • Addison Timlin

Elsa Hosk • Damiano David • Grant Gustin

Joseph Quinn • Suki Waterhouse • Jade Thirlwall

Ashton Irwin • Olivia Rodrigo • Kaia Gerber

Ariana Grande • Jack Martin •

Michael Clifford • Lily Rose Depp • Cara Delevingne

Austin Butler • Andrew Hozier-Byrne • Darren Criss

[a30somethingslookatpopculture]

Top 10 “90’s” Sitcoms

For this one, I am excluding sitcoms mainly aimed at children (like Nickelodeon stuff. That will be or is already its own list. I am excluding animated stuff for the same reason. And I am focusing on shows that began in the 90s. It is ok if they went on into the 2000s.

1. Friends

Sorry, not sorry. It’s timeless, and is my go-to for holiday specials or any time I need cheering up. I will never hesitate to flip to Friends reruns if i see it playing and I don’t know what I want to watch. Most of us see ourselves in one or more of these characters, know someone like them, or have faced some of the same real-world problems they have. It's heart-warming, funny, and endlessly quotable!

2. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

This is another one that I will flip to anytime I see it on. The cast of this show made it so special, and I especially love how real it got at times. And who doesn't know all of the words to the theme song still?

3. Home Improvement

Tim “the tool man” Taylor is an every man. Not particularly skilled, but knows his way around a tool bench. I love the humor in this show (both vocal and physical). It is somewhat of a nod to classic comedy, with many of the old tropes. The supporting cast is really great as well. I can just feel the 90s oozing from this one every time I watch it. Everything about it screams 90s! And there’s LOTS of plaid, too! I love all of that. I love being reminded of my life growing up a 90s kid!

4. The King Of Queens

This one also takes me back to the late 90s and early 2000s. I crack up so much watching it. Doug is relatable in so many ways, Arthur is a loveable nut, and Carrie’s wit is the best! I especially like seeing who will guest star in each episode. I mean, Lou freaking Ferrigno is their neighbor!!!

5. Boy Meets World

There's not much I can say about this one that hasn't been echoed by 90s kids all over the internet. It's the quintessential show of our generation! Cory and Shawn are friendship goals. Cory and Topanga are among the top couples of our time. Eric's, well, Eric! And Mr. Feeny is the absolute best!

6. Sabrina The Teenage Witch

I have always had an interest in witches and the supernatural. Seeing that in a sitcom was fun! Bewitched did it for the elder generations, but STTW was the one for 90s kids. Melissa Joan Hart just had IT. And Salem is the king of shade and sarcasm!

7. That 70’s Show

The 70s (decade) has always kind of been "meh" to me. But That 70s Show made it seems cooler somehow. I think most of the credit goes to great acting and fun storylines. I found parts of myself in many of the characters. And I absolutely adore all of the pop culture references!

8. Everybody Loves Raymond

I've been slow binging this one for a while now. I always enjoyed it, but binging through it has made me appreciate it that much more. There's not one single person in the Barone family that I don't LOVE. I even find myself struggling to decide who my "favorite" is. They're all so great! It's not too often that you get a show where the entire cast is equal parts witty and sarcastic! The crossovers with The King of Queens are great, too.

9. The Nanny

Nanny Fine has the voice of an angel...just kidding, it’s the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard! But I enjoy the character otherwise. I love that she doesn’t follow rules and does whatever she wants to do. The Will they wont they with her and Max goes on for forever, but it's a fun ride. I like the supporting cast as well. Particularly Niles. He's always on hand with a great insult!

10. Martin

A show where Martin Lawrence plays the titular character? Yes, please! Martin Payne is every bit witty as he is filter-less! Nothing beats him picking on Pam in nearly every episode. Or oftentimes even hurling insults at his best friend, Tommy. And who could forget Tisha Campbell as Gina? She's the perfect counterpart to Martin.

[booksteacupandreviews]

November didn't start as good as I hoped #weeklywrapup

November didn’t start as good as I hoped #weeklywrapup

Hello readers! I hope you all are well and had a great week. My week hasn’t been bad but it feels like life keeps getting in the way more lately. Some things and some people makes me feel mentally drained but there isn’t much I can do about it than make sure I have my ‘me time’ to take care of myself. But the book I picked at the beginning of November didn’t help with it. So my November didn’t…

[be-the-glenn-to-my-maggie]

Edwin confessing his love for Charles: Charles I love you!

Maxine on the stairs right next to them:

[hellsurvivr]

@theasteria - npc starter call ( ft. melissa richards. the mother / paynes guardian angel )

                        ❝  éfkolo mikré.  ❞ she smiles softly, the greek feeling almost foreign as it comes off her tongue after so long. angelic frame stopping near the other, and melissa knew. she would sense just who she was, or maybe she'd seen the one picture payne carried. the picture she tended to cry over when missing melissa. something that pained the now angel. shaking off the thoughts, she lets her eyes trail to her daughter, before returning to look at her friend. ❝  you're good for her you know. i don't think i've ever seen her smile as much as she does, when she's with you.  ❞

[reasoningdaily]

Mississippi Today: Bills aimed at Jackson remind of apartheid, Lumumba says

Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, with City of Jackson Communications Manager Melissa Payne, fields questions during a community meeting held to update the public on the water system, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2022, at College Hill Missionary Baptist Church. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba on Monday lambasted state lawmakers’ ongoing attempts to strong-arm city leadership through legislation that would remove local control over judicial and drinking water systems.

In the current legislative session, lawmakers have introduced the following bills:

HB 1020, which would create a new court to oversee cases within Jackson’s Capital Complex Improvement District with judges appointed by the state Supreme Court and prosecutors appointed by the state attorney general.

HB 696, which would expand the boundaries of the the district.

SB 2889, which would put the long-term control of Jackson’s drinking water system under a board mostly appointed by the governor and lieutenant governor.

SB 2338, which would prevent cities from charging for water based on property value, a plan Jackson’s new third-party manager is proposing as a way to lower the cost burden on poorer residents.

The mayor spoke to the pattern of recent attempts to remove control over issues in Jackson from the 83% Black, majority Democrat city, and put it in the hands of state leaders; all of Mississippi’s statewide elected officials are white Republicans.

“It reminds me of apartheid,” Lumumba said Monday. “They are looking to colonize Jackson, not only in terms of them putting their military force over Jackson, but also dictating who has province over decision-making.

“They put this military force over us, and we’re just supposed to pay taxes to the king.”

Lumumba also called out HB 370, which would allow voters to recall municipal elected officials. Critics of the bill argue it was aimed at removing Jackson leadership, although the bill’s author, Rep. Shanda Yates, said she didn’t introduce it with the city in mind.

The mayor has frequently criticized the role of state leaders over the past year. Last April, Lumumba called the Legislature “paternalistic” and “racist” after a dispute over the appropriation of federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. In their handling of the funds, lawmakers attached extra oversight over Jackson’s spending of infrastructure money that wasn’t required for other cities in the state.

Last fall, after a combination of flooding and broken pumps shut down the capital city’s drinking water system, Gov. Tate Reeves announced that the state was taking over Jackson’s water operations. After both initially said that the city and state were working together, Reeves and Lumumba spent weeks launching public attacks against each other.

The federal government recently appropriated $600 million to directly assist Jackson’s water system; that money is part of a total $814 million in federal funds that will go towards the city’s water and sewer projects.

Lumumba said Monday there has never been an investment like this before, referencing that Flint received $100 million in federal funds to aid its lead crisis. He said Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann expressed doubts that Jackson could secure such funding without the state’s help.

“(Hosemann) said that I needed to look at a possible relationship with the state, because what did I think, Biden was going to write me a check?” Lumumba said. “I recently told (Hosemann): ‘I do, and he did it.'” Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba (left) and water system’s third-party administrator Ted Henifin, answer questions regarding the current state of the city’s water system during a town hall meeting held at Forest Hill High School, Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today

Mayor hasn’t seen proposal yet, appointing new public works director

Asked about last week’s proposal from the city’s new water manager, Ted Henifin, Lumumba said he hasn’t yet reviewed the plan, and couldn’t speak to specific ideas in the plan, such as charging customers based on property values or creating a nonprofit to govern the system long term.

Lumumba did say the city was getting ready to announce a new interim public works director; the previous interim director, Jordan Hillman, is now working for Henifin’s organization, JXN Water.

The mayor said the city is hiring a recruiting firm to find a permanent director, and added that the new director will no longer be handling the city’s drinking water.

Asked if management of the drinking water system would remain with a separate entity long-term, Lumumba said “it’s too early to say.”

“I will say my interest is not just to run (the water system) and operate it for the sake of running and operating it,” the mayor said.

Lumumba will host a town hall to discuss the latest around federal funding and Henifin’s role on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Forest Hill High School.