Dear Oh Dear, Essence

I was checking my email a few minutes ago when I came across one from Essence magazine. I'm a long-time reader of Essence, steadfastly buying the magazine even as its quality plummeted and then through their more recent efforts to take the magazine back to what I've heard described as its hey-day in the 1970s (why does it seem like the seventies were the hey-days for everything and everybody?).

Today's "News Alert" though was just hilarious. Essence does not send out alerts very often; these are usually reserved for news stories of significant interest and/or importance to its readers. So when I see them, I know they have something important to report.

Today's read: Diddy’s A Daddy! Kim Porter delivers twin baby girls.
Erm, excuse me?

"A source close to the family confirms exclusively to Essence that the stork made two deliveries to hip-hop impresario Sean "Diddy" Combs and his long-time girlfriend Kim Porter. Porter, 36, at Mt. Sinai in New York City. The couple reportedly delivered a healthy set of twin baby girls, according to a source close to the couple.
(blah, blah, blah .............. yadda, yadda, yadda .........................)

Read more about the arrival of the twins on ESSENCE.com and stay with us as this story develops."

Delivered with all the urgency of some momentous piece of breaking news. For a split nanosecond I was bewildered at why I would care enough about P. Diddy to want a special email informing me of the birth of his twins, until I quickly remembered what a pop-culture obsessed world we live in.

BTW, I received another email informing me that the January issue is out and it looks great! Every January Essence features women over the age of 40 who have taken incredible care of themselves and look decades younger than they are. I literally have to pick my jaw off the floor when I read about 90-year old women who could pass for 40. I'm serious!!!!!!!!! This issue more than anything else inspires me to exercise, eat well, relax as much as I can and take good care of myself. I hope I can get my hands on this issue.