CLick here for the blog post Blacking It Up: Hip Hop, Race and Identity by Racialicious

I recently attended a speech by a Native American who broke down the issue of racializing mascots and cartoon characters. He made an interesting point when he said that many times people think they are honoring a race when in fact it is very offensive to them. After I attended the seminar I came across this article in my news feed and decided to share it. I am able to see a different perspective on society in regards to race and gender and I hope this article gives you some insight as well.


My favorite quote form the article that came from a movie was "You can go back to being white whenever you want." It cuts right to the point of privilege as it pertains to race. One of my best friends is white and I know that although she can hang with black folk without batting an eye, she can go back to her white life and her career whenever she wants. There is freedom and power in that alone. But I also know that every moment that she is opening her mind and learning about our culture she is able to take that back with her and make a difference. It may not seem like much on an individual scale but as long as she understands that there is a struggle we have made progress. She doesn't necessarily have to be there, but she chooses to as a friend and as a compassionate and supportive person she listens when I voice my frustrations without saying a word. There are people who genuinely love the black culture because they know struggle, even if it's no where close to being the same struggle, and like the  love that bonds us this is powerful.

The Sweetest Spot on Earth : Happy Valentine's Day!

I find Valentines Day fast approaching and society would have us believe that it's a day for lovers. Although this isn't the first year I've been without a Valentine, this is definitely the first year I thought I had it in the bag. I just knew I wasn't going to be alone, but low an behold if there was ever a year to be alone, this is it. I've been seeing a nice guy for about 3 months now, but he doesn't want a commitment. At first I convinced myself that we were just having fun, I was too busy anyway, and  besides what's the worst that could happen? Well I found out that the worst that could happen is catching feelings for someone who doesn't want you the way you want them. I've been playing it cool, but as I think about how much I've put out and how much I won't be getting in return, I get angry ...at myself. I can't blame the guy because he was clever enough to let me know upfront that  he didn't want the commitment. Yeah, I blame cupid.

So, here I am, getting ready to cut him out of my life for good, and for no good reason. But before I do I decide to call one of my best friends. I wanted to vent, maybe explain my side. I thought maybe she could convince me that I'm not crazy for liking yet another spineless douche bag who isn't worthy. I would hate to think this disappointment equates to love somehow. My mind get's cloudy sometimes when I want something so bad that I can't have. She reminds me that I know love. I've been there, felt that. This isn't it. Move on.

Yes, that's right... I remember love! Technology is a wonderful thing. I found this picture on Google Earth as I took a virtual walk down memory lane. I went back to the place where it all began. This might just look like an ordinary corner to you, but for me this spot was a magical place. It's where I learned to fly. It's where I had my first real kiss, it's where I felt butterflies. It's where we would meet during the evening after dinner, the morning before school, the middle of the night when we would sneak out to look at the stars. Then a thousand kisses and hugs later it's where we declared our love for one another.

I know better. I was in love once. It was the height of my existence as a human being. I say that with pride, joy, a little regret, but with all that is in me. His name was Charlie, and we were crazy about each other. Like the old Casablanca flick that stresses that love is more than an act, it's a place, and a memory that we carry for all eternity. They'll might always have Paris, but me and Charlie will always have the corner of Avenue J-6 and Rodin.

It's the reason we carry through the hurts and the pains of the future, and the present. It's the reminder that hope is alive. It's the reason we try, and it's also the reason we hesitate to say goodbye. Because of this experience I've been able to move forward in any relationship because what we had was real, it took many forms including educational. It was powerful, and it was complete. It was more than passion, and kisses. It was trials and tribulations, commitment, time spent together, and Lord knows time spent apart, but  forever in one another's heart. We shared the same street, then we eventually shared the same heart beat. We were best friends, then we were lovers. We exchanged Valentine's Day presents, and long walks. We exchanged secrets, and laughter, went on missions and adventures. Our friends became friends. Our mothers became our mothers. We met when I was only 14, and we traveled through time as if we were on a cloud. When we were together no one else existed, nothing else mattered. Over the years we would plan and dream and scheme, rescue each other, and when romance failed we always had our friendship, then always the beautiful cycle would begin again.

Then one day, several years later, it was over, like the snap of a finger it was over. The love wasn't gone, but the days of carefree childhood turned into responsibilities that were beyond our control, him to his family, me to my studies then career. I still dream about him, still think about him every time I see a starry sky. He was mine, and I'll always be his.

In a way it was an accomplishment, an honor and a privilege to be that girl. Ride or Die? Check. His hero? Check. His one and only? Check. His first love? Check. The one that got away? check. And he was all that for me and more. He inspires everything I do, from writing, to designing. I do it all with him in mind.

Here's the point that lies at the tip of any heart. When V-Day rolls around I will not feel alone, or like a failure because I don't have a "him" by my side. I will feel like a blessed woman with so much on her plate that I haven't the time to sit around and count my losses, or the what if's of a future that doesn't exist yet, with a guy who simply isn't him. I know love. I will hold my head up high, I will remember, I will smile. I will do more than survive, I will live. I know the truth about love. And I know that for me and Charlie we'll always have Avenue J-6 and Rodin. We're the lucky ones, because we had something that couldn't be lost, or misplaced, even questioned.

I get sad thinking about the people who don't know about real love, because once you know it you can't help but to spread it. You want to show it, you want to give it as much as possible. Knowing real love means finally knowing how short your time here is and how short your time together is. And loving is time well spent. Find your magic this Valentine's Day. Love doesn't cost a thing, it's more valuable than money, and it only grows when you give it away, so whether it's a memory, a place, a kiss, or time reserved for you and your lover, just spend it, give it away, then live it eternally. Don't be afraid, because real love is always worth it.

UGLY76

Beauty is arbitrary. Fashion should be organic and women should experiment until they find themselves with a definition of their style. Style is personal. It's unique like a person's voice or fingerprint. Trendsetters are young. For them fashion is exciting, and fascinating. It's when you get older that you realize that fashion along with beauty fades. Style lasts forever. You gain wisdom throughout your trendy days, then all of a sudden you realize that somethings are more functional than others. You start buying pieces that you know work. Pieces in a few different colors, maybe even a few at a time. You know the staples and the colors that work for you season after season. Instead of you working your clothes, your clothes start to work for you. You become the inventor, the innovator, the visionary. It's all about class, your level of it, how you start to interpret it and how you start to convey the few things that changed you in a way, allowed you to grow, and made you the person you are. If you have ever changed, you yourself actually became fashion for a moment. Fashion is after all the great signifier of change. Trend setters may love fashion, but they aren't fashion. They are still following the rules put in place by someone else. People with style actually challenge the rules, bend the rules, make their own rules, and tell other people what works, and what doesn't work. If a stylish person suggests that practicing how to put mascara on is a benefit, people listen. If she says that layering works best for Fall weather people listen. She is a high ranking officer in the army of fashion. Skilled, disciplined, sharp, a leader, and a most of all honorable.

I would consider my personal style to be "70's Vintage Chic". Anything that fits into that category reminds me of myself. It's a secret in a lot of ways because I have never actually expressed the real reason I buy what I buy. Is there a psychology to fashion? Maybe.

It's not just the marketing, because  when I say personal style I mean just that. There is no perfect store that only sells things I would only buy. Therefore there is no direct marketing category that I would fall into. I could open my own store, brand my style, and sell separate pieces that individually express their own unique reality. The symbolism of the store name, the brand, and the manner in which I display items and decorate the store would all be part of my personal style. If I wasn't bold, I would never be able to fully express my vision in a way that made sense to anyone else on the outside world. In a way you have to be fearless to express personal style, and go all out when you want to make a point.  I know all the trends yet I still gravitate towards certain colors, prints, silhouettes, fabrics, and a trace of anything that resembles my personal style. If I wouldn't wear it I wouldn't display it.

That's the thing I love about fashion. If you know the language and you consider yourself fluent, you are able to create your own style. And like your spirit style is forever. Fashion is like a book. The designers are the authors. The books themselves are the wardrobes. The chapters are the outfits. The clothes are the paragraphs. The the accessories are the sentences. The shoes are the punctuation marks. Once you write the book others read it. To a young person fashion is their life, they study the books, and practice the teachings. To an experienced person fashion is just what you put on to live your actual life, complete with places to go, people to see and things to do. Fashion just helps you be the best you. And style gives you the power to change things, and transform yourself when you need to.

Just like the self published author, books need marketing, vision, and purpose. It needs to fit into a genre so that people know where to look for it, or so that when people look at a specific genre it's waiting to be discovered. What genre of clothing would I provide? Women's casual, and business attire. I would design, and style, drawing inspiration from vintage 70's pieces.

Embarrassing God

"Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live."

Titus 1:16 NLT

 

 

"Not so long ago I saw a man shopping in a grocery store while his young son ran up and down the aisles. The boy was unleashed and hyper, making a complete nuisance of himself. The father kept calling his son's name, but the boy only ran faster—up one aisle and down the other.

Just as the father caught up with him, the boy reached out and grabbed a handful of candy bars. The father tried to take them away, but the boy held on tightly. Then he started to scream. It was a high-pitched, piercing scream that reverberated throughout the store. Clerks and customers turned to look from every direction as the frustrated father tried his best to squelch his son's cries. The boy only screamed louder and started to kick. Finally the father let him go, and once again he ran down the aisle with all his might, chocolate still clutched in his greedy little grip.

I caught a glimpse of the father's face. It was the look of complete and total embarrassment. Although I'm sure he loved his son dearly, at this moment he was ashamed to be his father.

Do you think God ever feels that way with his children? Imagine how he must feel when we become so earthly minded that we run through life, ignoring his voice and oblivious to his warning, grabbing things as we go and holding them tightly.

Do you think God doesn't get embarrassed by the way his children act? Our life is a reflection of his authority. And when we disobey, he is the One the world scoffs at.

from Embracing Eternity by Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins and Frank M. Martin (Tyndale) p 148

12 Ways to Tell If Mr. Right Is All Wrong #8

He monopolizes your time.  
In the early stages of a relationship, it’s normal to want to be together all the time. But if he starts demanding you spend time only with him, that could be a sign he’s emotionally abusive.

“An abuser strips you of your resources so you can’t be out of his control,” Freed says. “If somebody loves you, they want you to have a wide social network and be close with family and friends. That makes you a more well-rounded person.”

What Saves You?

"Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime,
Therefore, we are saved by hope.
Nothing true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history;
Therefore, we are saved by faith.
Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone.
Therefore, we are saved by love.
No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as from our own;
Therefore, we are saved by the final form of love, which is forgiveness."

Reinhold Niebuhr

When will love come?

"Love comes when manipulation stops; when you think more about the other person than about his or her reactions to you. When you dare to reveal yourself fully. When you dare to be vulnerable"
~ Dr. Joyce Brothers

Twiturm.com - Finga bandit - oooooh Yaaaaaa

Twiturm.com - Finga bandit - oooooh Yaaaaaa

WHIP YO MUTHA F*CKIN HAIR like young Willow Smith

Whip My Hair BMF
Uploaded by BlakMusicFirst. - See the latest featured music videos.

93ab08d5-f41b-4c26-9ac9-aa859f21951f

1.03.01

Fact Of the Day!

The Popsicle was invented by 11-year-old Frank Epperson in 1905. He left a container of soda and a stirrer outside overnight, and in the morning discovered them frozen together.

The Power is Yours

The Magic Wand
 
Quick-change artist extraordinaire,
 
I whip out my folded cane and change from black man to blind man with a flick of the wrist.
 
It is a profound metamorphosis
 
From God gifted wizard of roundball dominating backboards across America,
 
To God-gifted idiot savant pounding out chart-busters on a cock-eyed whim;
 
From sociopathic gangbanger with death for eyes
 
To all seeing soul with saintly spirit;
 
From rape deranged misogynist to poor motherless child;
 
From welfare-rich pimp to disability-rich gimp;
 
And from “white man’s burden” to every man’s burden.
 
It is always a profound metamorphosis.
 
Whether from cursed by man to cursed by God or from scripture condemned to God ordained, my final form is never of my choosing.
 
I only wield the wand; you are the magician.
 
—Lynn Manning

DOPE REMIX for Kelis' SCREAM

Face to Face Identity Management through Clothing

"A respectable appearance is sufficient to make people more interested in your soul." ~Karl Lagerfield

We know a big part of any makeover involves changing clothes, adding to our wardrobe, and taking things out that make us look bad. No matter how painful that may be, we know that we are judged by our first appearances. Why do you think that is?


OPPROBRIUM

1

: something that brings disgrace

2

a : public disgrace or ill fame that follows from conduct considered grossly wrong or vicious

"We may be born naked, but we waste little time correcting the oversight. Almost from the moment we wriggle into the world, we start getting dressed. Conventional wisdom claims that clothing is simply a means of survival, but clearly there’s more to it. Whether it’s a couple of strategically placed shells or a suit of armor, a G-string or a caribou parka, clothing is a set of signals to all we meet. And though clothes may indeed protect us from the elements, their real job is to protect us from social opprobrium, or to make a statement—to a potential boss, a potential bride, or a very real enemy." —Banana Republic Catalog

(Adler. Looking Out, Looking In, 13th Edition. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning/CourseSmart, 01/01/2010. 72).

SCREAM by Kelis

My favorite song off the album "Fleshtone" produced by Benny Benassi. I love the use of color, her cropped hair, the black light scenes, and her shoes are HAUTE!!! (check out the spine detailed platform boots when she's on the ground wearing the fuchsia hat) I give the video two thumbs UP ...but did you expect me to give it anything less? #biasedKelisStan

I Stick Out...

In Japan, in fact, everything had been made level

and uniform—even humanity. By one official count,

90 percent of the population regarded themselves as

middle-class; in schools, it was not the outcasts who

beat up the conformists, but vice versa. Every Japanese

individual seemed to have the same goal as every

other—to become like every other Japanese individual.

The word for “different,” I was told, was the same as

the word for “wrong.” And again and again in Japan,

in contexts varying from the baseball stadium to the

watercolor canvas, I heard the same unswerving, even

maxim: “The nail that sticks out must be hammered

down.”

—Pico Iyer, Video Night in Katmandu

(Adler. Looking Out, Looking In, 13th Edition. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning/CourseSmart, 01/01/2010. 54).

Could I really be happy in Japan? Probably not. I would be different on purpose and that would show that I didn't want to fit in. I would always be viewed as wrong there. I'm happy to be part of Western Civilization where individualism is valued. I'm happy to be an original.

Ego Boosters

I walk a tightrope of unique design.
I teeter, falter, recover and bow.
You applaud.
I run forward, backward, hesitate and bow.
You applaud.
If you don’t applaud I’ll Fall.
Cheer me! Hurray me!
Or you push me
Down.
—Lenni Shender Goldstein

When solitude goes from being welcomed to being painful.

We must love one another or die.
—W. H. Auden

I'm taking a Speech class, and the focus is communication, the basic need for humans to interact. I use the word basic because like needing food, water, sleep, and the breath of God, we also need love. The first few pages of the text book (Adler. Looking Out, Looking In, 13th Edition. Wadsworth) cut deep into my psyche. I'm hooked. I always knew I was a natural communicator, but my emotional connection to words -- written or verbal -- is profound. I'm not a "touchy feely" type of person, but I now understand people who are.

Definition: Communication is a transactional process involving participants who
occupy different but overlapping environments and create relationships through the
exchange of messages, many of which are affected by external, physiological, and
psychological noise.

I Love Lucy!

"Luck? I don't know anything about luck. I've never banked on it and I'm afraid of people who do. Luck to me is something else: hard work — and realizing what is opportunity and what isn't."
– Lucille Ball

 

Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

"Never look down to test the ground before taking your next step; only he who keeps his eye fixed on the far horizon will find the right road."
– Dag Hammarskjöld

After a whirlwind vacation (weekend in Vegas, and 10 days soaking up the Southern California sunshine) I'm heading back to school for the Fall Quarter!! I 'm actually excited to get back to my routine of study sessions, student functions and 3 hour carpooling rides. It helps knowing that I only have a little time left at the picturesque campus and laid back culture of the North West Student Life. For all my fellow students heading into Autumn with high hopes for a brilliant new year Good Luck!! with all your endeavors and always shoot for the stars, but keep your feet firmly on the ground!!! And by that I mean study hard, play hard and get those A's baby!

"Just don't give up on trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong."
– Ella Fitzgerald