Thank you to everyone who got me to 50 likes!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!! 🎃

Originally posted by partiallypearl

Originally posted by beatchya

Written by: Armanda Diallo

August 26, 2025

Yesterday was my big day, a major milestone for me. I turned 40! I was looking forward to it when I turned 39, but at the same time, I was kind of scared. I was feeling a lot of emotions.

Now that it happened, I don’t know what to do. I mean, I know, I just keep living my life, but now what in other ways? I do work, but I just thought that at my age I would have a better job, make more money, be married, and have children. It did not happen because I did not make it happen. I thought a lot of “what if” and, yes, I tried, but was not successful. I can’t blame anyone but me.

Now, at this age, without a husband or children, I don’t feel alone or lonely. I’m just living my life the way I want it to be. I don’t live alone, and I am okay with that. Am I happy? I’m fine. I’m doing good.

I just can’t believe it went by so fast. I remember when I was 8 years old and we were celebrating my mother’s 40th birthday thirty-two years ago in Florida at a restaurant. Now I’m the 40-year-old. It goes by really fast.

Yesterday, when it happened, it did not bother me. It’s not like I can do something about it. Matter of fact, it was fun, I had a fun birthday. Went to lunch (Shake Shack Burgers), got a cake, and had a private gathering. I enjoyed it. I even went to Chipotle for dinner. I love their food.

I’m pleased that I’m this age, because I wouldn’t want to be in my 20s today. Grateful for that.

But looking forward, I’m not going to panic. Worry? Maybe. But there’s nothing we can do; we do get older.

Happy 40th to me.

Written by: Armanda Diallo

August 22, 2025

In the summer of 1989, brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez shot and murdered their parents (Jose and Kitty Menendez) using shotguns in their Beverly Hills home. During their trial until their 1996 conviction, the Menendez brothers were seen as evil monsters who just murdered their parents for money.

The brothers went on a $700K shopping spree with their inheritance, spending it on luxurious goods, parties, and other stuff. The jury, the prosecutor, and the nation strongly judged them. The brothers took the stand multiple times, stating that their father (Jose Menendez) sexually assaulted them as children, that their mother, Kitty, knew about it, and even was accused of lying on the stand.

The infamous Court TV tapes (click here for part 2) show the brothers crying and talking about their father and how he hurt them.

NBC’s Saturday Night Live even created a skit in 1993, during the height of the trial. With actor John Malkovich alongside alumni Rob Schneider. Poking fun at the brothers side by side on the stand, crying and making a mockery of the situation. The nation watched and laughed, but the real-life brothers did not find any of it funny. It was their life on the line at the time.

The trial took years before their conviction; the duo was found guilty of double murder in 1996. They were split up into separate prisons. For 22 years, Lyle and Erik were separated. Now both are serving their time together at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California.

The Menendez brothers’ famous interview with Barbara Walters in 1996 became one of their most well-known interviews. The nation was glued to their televisions to find out why they did it and if those accusations were true. Walters even went as far as to ask Erik if he was gay.

Another high-profile trial at the time was the O.J. Simpson trial, another infamous trial that shocked the nation after the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ron Goldman. It was dubbed “the trial of the century”. The connection was Simpson and the Menendez brothers sharing a cell in the Los Angeles County Jail.

Simpson passed away last April from prostate cancer.

(Fact vs. Fiction)

Both Lyle and Erik are now in their 50s. As the years went by, they have done good things like engaging in many prison programs, such as a Green Space project, mentorship and support, hospice caregivers, and even completed their education with college degrees while on the inside.

They seemed to do good on the inside.

(First trailer to Netflix ‘Monsters’)

Since Lyle and Erik have been behind bars, there have been movies and series on the brothers being part of pop culture. Their story gripped the nation and, of course, Hollywood.

There have been a few series and a 2017 Lifetime TV movie on the brothers.

Then NBC released a miniseries in 2017, Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders. It focused on the brothers and their criminal defense attorney (Leslie Abramson), played by The Sopranos’ Edie Falco. A must-see, to be honest.

In the Fall of 2024, executive producer/co-creator Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story) released the latest scripted series on the brothers for Netflix. Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. Starring Academy Award winner Javier Bardem, Academy Award nominee Chloë Sevigny as Jose and Kitty Menendez. Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy Award nominee Cooper Koch, alongside Nicholas Alexander Chavez, as the Menendez brothers.

It was the second season behind Murphy’s 2022 hit anthology drama Dahmer, which focused on the Menendez brothers. Murphy stated he wanted it to be about them and tell their story from their point of view. The hit Netflix series garnered over 100 million views worldwide and was nominated for both the Golden Globes and Primetime Emmys. It’s a must-watch.

A week after the popular Netflix series was released, a documentary on the same platform was released about the real brothers. The Netflix series is what put the duo back in the headlines.

TMZ, Harvey Levin, and their current attorney, Mark Geragos, co-host a podcast titled 2 Angry Men. The two discussed high-profile cases from the P. Diddy situation to the Menendez brothers.

Lyle and Erik Menendez, 2023

The brothers were recently denied parole in August 2025, after their resentencing. It was life with no parole to 50 years with a possibility of parole.

They may be eligible for another parole hearing in three years; meanwhile, Mark Geragos is still fighting for their freedom, stating that the parole hearings were “rigged”.

The brothers have new fans. Gen Z fans of the hit Netflix series are advocating for their freedom as well. TikTok(ers) and other social media platform users have supported them. Repeatedly stating that the brothers are not a threat to society. Comparing their case to Gypsy Rose, who was convicted of second-degree murder for the death of her mother, whom she claimed abused her. But was released and is currently living a healthy life.

Unlike the Menendez brothers, they have been engaging in illegal activities behind bars in the past. The parole board took up to 10-12 hours for each brother. They had plenty of time to decide.

The brothers, along with their attorney Mark Geragos, are still fighting for their freedom.