I have to admit. I LOVE Facebook!  I think about it when I wake up in the mornings.  After I get on my knees and pray each day, Facebook is the first thing that I check each morning before I go to work.  Sometimes, I am even late for work catching up on Facebook messages that came in overnight.   I take my iPhone (with the Facebook application) everywhere I go, including meetings, to ensure I don’t miss a Facebook message.  If I happen to attend a meeting without my iPhone, I’m daydreaming about what’s happening on Facebook and wondering if anyone has shared anything uplifting or funny on their wall.  

I have a craving and desire for Facebook with feelings similar to that of a romantic love.  Facebook has created so my many new friendships in my life and has improved the overall quality of my life beyond my wildest imagination.   How could I not love it?  I give and receive more love to old and new friends through Facebook every day.   My love relationships with my family, friends, and even strangers have strengthened since joining Facebook. The only thing I can conclude is that I LOVE Facebook:-)

Not only have I met some wonderful new friends… but I’ve had experiences in my life since joining Facebook that I could have only dreamed of a year ago.  As many of you know, I’ve been a “fan” of a few people in my lifetime:  Michelle Obama, Oprah, Denzel Washington, and Jamie Foxx.  Both Oprah and Michelle Obama truly inspire me each and every day and I love staying connected to them through their Facebook updates.  I have loved the work of Denzel Washington and Jamie Foxx for as long as I can remember.  Through Facebook, I was given the opportunity to have Jamie Foxx interview me for 1 hour on his Foxxhole Radio show about my new book, Why I Love Men:  The Joys of Dating.  I must say that Jamie is far more talented, funnier and smarter than I ever realized.   If you’ve been a fan of anyone, you can only imagine how great it is to have a 1 hour conversation with someone you’ve admired and respected for so long.  Jamie and his management team gave me my first opportunity to do a national radio show and since that interview, just 4 months ago, I’ve done the Michael Baisden show, Montel Williams, the Guy Black Show, NBC4 Weekend Today, HOT 97, KISS FM, Glamour magazine and so many other radio and TV shows.   I am grateful to Jamie Foxx and his management team because they have, without knowing it, allowed so many doors to be opened for me.  It is great to know that there are genuinely good people (like Foxx and his management team) who help you tremendously without asking for anything in return. 

Every day on Facebook, I receive “luv” messages encouraging me, supporting me, congratulating me and even complimenting me.  I call them “luv” messages because I know it’s not real love, because I’ve never met these people before, but I do feel  “luv” from them every day.   For those who know my story about never being able to get a date when I was younger, you know how much I appreciate the “luv.”  Now more than ever before, I believe in the kindness and generosity of strangers…who have become my friends as a result of Facebook.

From a dating perspective, my First Dates, one of the most important events in a new relationship, are so much more enjoyable because of..you guessed it… Facebook!  Think about it, you can learn so much about a person from reading their posts, therefore, it’s easy to weed out who it makes sense to spend time with (or not) prior to even going on the First Date.  I love the ability to pre-screen dates by just watching the interesting (and sometimes strange) stuff people put on their Facebook wall.  So, the First Date is usually better because you already have a sense of who that person is from reading their Facebook posts every day.  I’ve had people reach out to me “behind the wall” based upon something I posted (or because of a dress I’ve worn:-) and as a result, I have really met some incredible people!  Did I say I love me some Facebook? 

Through Facebook, I can exchange great videos, articles, and websites and discover that there are other people in the world who think similar thoughts as me.   As a natural introvert, it takes a lot of effort for me to stay connected with people, but through Facebook, I can create and maintain real connections with family and friends.  I love Facebook for improving the quality of my relationships!

If Facebook has improved the quality of your life in anyway, please share them with me.  I’d love to hear from you!

 JJ Smith, The Dating Diva

Author, Why I Love Men:  The Joys of Dating

http://www.jjsmithonline.com

I was recently reading www.bossip.com, one of the best gossip sites on the web, and they had several entries about Kanye West’s new jump-off.  So, it got me to thinking more about the role of a jump-off.  In the case of Kanye’s jump-off (as Bossip calls her), she seemed to be playing the role well and getting many benefits from playing that role… or at least that’s the way it appeared from the photos on bossip.com (partying and shopping with Kanye would make for a pretty exciting time). 

I began to think more and more about the role of the jump-off and the benefits that may come along with being a celebrity’s jump-off.  So, first and foremost, how would one define a jump-off anyway?  In my opinion, a jump-off is a woman that a guy sees primarily for sex and other sexual pleasures.  She is usually available anytime and any place for any type of sexual encounter.  The jump-off is the woman he can go to for that three-some or some late night head after the club.  When wifey or girlfriend is getting on his nerves, the jump-off is usually the one to hold him over for a few days.  Also, it is not uncommon for the jump-off to never hear from the man unless he wants sex.  It is not hard to figure out if a man wants you to be his jump-off.  In fact, if the only way he communicates with you is by text message, you just might be his jump-off.  If the only time you hear from him is to have sex, then you’re not “dating” him; you’re his jump-off.   It is similar to a booty call, which is an appointment to have sex. 

Being a jump-off can have its benefits if you’re not trying to make the relationship something it’s not…especially if you’re a celebrity’s jump-off.  So, reading bossip.com’s column got me to thinking.. If I could be any celebrity’s jump-off, who would it be and why?  I know in my upcoming book, Why I Love Men:  The Joys of Dating, I make a joke about wanting to be Jamie Foxx’s jump-off… but of course, I was just kidding, or was I?  So, tell me if you would be a celebrity’s jump-off, and if so, which celebrity?

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