Willow Smith/ Whip My Hair

Willow Smith is the 9 year old daughter of Will and Jada Smith. She not only has impeccable style but she also has an amazing voice. I blogged about her style awhile back never thought I’d become a fan of her music. Her new hit song “Whip My Hair” is rapidly climbing the charts and even landed her a record deal with Jay- Z’s new label Roc Nation.

Even though she’s 9, Willow has a certain poise and a certainty about her self which comes out in her music and personality. She’s a burst of pure/innocent energy but has a “clear vision of who she is and who she wants to be.” Jay- Z also went on to compare her to a young Michael Jackson.. ( I wouldn’t take it that far because NO one can be the King of Pop) saying that “I can only imagine that's how Mike [Michael Jackson] was as a young kid, he knew exactly what he wanted."

I’m excited for Willow and cant wait to see the impact she leaves on Music.

Tell Good Hair To Kick Rocks

One of my favorite artists came out with a song just a few years ago called "I am Not My Hair." Ms. India Arie's lyrics were so inspiring, as they always are, and millions of women were bopping their heads and singing every word. Unfortunately we were not singing this song with conviction but instead singing because it was catchy and for many of us deep down inside singing the words were as close as we would ever get to embracing our God-given manes with confidence.

Historically Black women have had such a complex surrounding our tresses, feeding into sayings and phrases like "good hair", "bad hair", "nigga hair", "slave hair". But what does all of this actually mean and why do we continue to suppress ourselves and our counterparts into feelings of subjectivity as if our natural tresses are not good enough? Who defines what "good hair" is?
I get so annoyed when I hear people refer to a person's hair as good or bad. Once a guy told me, "Oh you have good hair because it curls up when it's wet." Really? How dumb can you be? These are the kind of comments that contribute to the low self-esteem epidemic plaguing many of our young girls and teens. Good hair doesn't mean curly when wet. Good hair is healthy hair and the ability to rock whatever you've been blessed to have with nothing less than maximum confidence.

I started growing my relaxer out in 2009 and just recently I decided to snip the rest away. It was a bold move and took me out of my comfort zone but without discomfort there is no growth. I forced myself to become comfortable with me, just me! Many of you want to make the same move and convince yourself that you'll do it when the time is right. Well the time is now. If you're waiting until you just feel empowered and 100% confident, you'll probably be waiting forever. It's one of those things you just have to do and trust that your Creator made you unique, divine and oh so fine!

Now I don't want you to get the wrong message and think that I'm saying relaxers and weaves are wrong. I just want you to walk away understanding that how ever you decide to rock your strands, you are just as beautiful with it in its natural state. So often we become dependent on weave, lace fronts, wigs, extensions, clip-ins, sew-ins, etc. that we cannot stand looking at the real us and accept us for who we are. If you are one of the many who "freak-out" without weave or relaxers so much to the point of not being able to go in public then this is for you. Don't continue to emotionally enslave yourself when you have the key. Would you stay locked in a dungeon if you had the key to escape. The principle is the same! Only you can liberate you!
So whether its natural, relaxed, sewn in, glued in, clipped in, fused in, gelled up, slickedoff, locked, kinky, wavy, curly, puffy, coarse, thin, thick, short, medium or long .......Remember that you are Beautiful just the way you popped out of the womb and not a soul can take that away but you! Tell society and all it's images of "good hair" to kick rocks! Stay FABULOUS ;)
Live Life, Love Life,
EssenceDanielle

http://essy-hair.blogspot.com/2010/08/tell-good-hair-to-kick-rocks.html

Pretty Boy Swag???

Is it me or is the rap scene becoming unknowingly infatuated with suspect artist. I, myself am a die hard fan of southern, bass controlled, crunk music. I love hip-hop as a whole, being that it has always been a representation of my culture and that is my issue; I do not want metro-sexual/down-low rappers to be the face of my culture.

I embrace any and every one and firmly believe in the saying, “to each its own”, however hip hop is one of, if not the biggest genres globally. Hip-hop has always been spat at and called negative, but the message sent through such as “fight the power” gave me a sense of pride. Nowadays with artists like Kanye West and Drake and newcomers Justin Bieber and Soulja Boy with his pretty boy swag, it’s become hard to feel comfortable knowing that these are the men that our youth are idolizing.

Musically, each artist has a unique sound that has launched their careers to great heights; however, the imagery portrayed is what has been termed metro-sexual i.e. a man with gay tendencies. Now, I personally do not know any artist in the music industry but when a man claims that he has pretty boy swag, or gets hot and bothered when speaking of Lil’ Wayne, or runs on stage wearing shoulder pads to embark in a catfight with a scrawny teenager, then one’s eyebrows begin to rise. When you have songs titled, I’m a pretty bitch and I think I’m Paris Hilton, and you kiss a man fan’s hand during a concert(Lil’ B), then that’s when I think hip hop has taken a terrible turn.

Would I be upset with an openly gay rapper, no? Because then it would not be an image, but a way of life and who you are. I just have a hard time grasping the idea of a grown man who surrounds himself with a handful of women, follow fashion trends instead of being individuals, and has a diva like attitude being the men our younger generation admires.

Joshua Nelson sanelson23@gmail.com

Mistake Widespread on Foreclosures

Paperwork mistakes that led one of the nation's largest mortgage servicers to halt foreclosure evictions in 23 states last week have happened elsewhere and affect tens of thousands of foreclosures, say lawyers for homeowners.

Ally Financial's GMAC Mortgage acted after manager Jeffrey Stephan gave a statement to opposing lawyers that he had signed off on legal documents for 10,000 foreclosure papers a month without following verification procedures. "We've taken depositions at other servicing companies that take these documents without reviewing them," says Christopher Immel, a lawyer at Ice Legal in West Palm Beach, Fla. "They were filing fraudulently. It's rarely done correctly."

In one case, Erica Johnson-Seck, a vice president at OneWest, said she signed 750 foreclosure documents a week and didn't read each document before signing it, according to a 2009 deposition obtained by Ice Legal. She also said they were signed without a notary present.In a May 17 deposition, also taken by Ice Legal, Beth Cottrell, a supervisor at Chase Home Finance, a division of JPMorgan Chase, said she was among eight managers who signed off on about 18,000 foreclosure papers a month.

In many states, servicers must file a motion in court to take possession of a home in a foreclosure. To support their motion, a representative has to verify they've reviewed the supporting documents, checked who owns the mortgage note and had a notary public witness their signature.Ally Financial said Friday that delays in completing foreclosures should be resolved before year's end. It also said it's confident that processing errors did not result in any inappropriate foreclosures.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are reviewing foreclosures on GMAC-serviced mortgages they own and have halted evictions on them until the review is done. Fannie Mae says it is also reminding servicers to follow proper procedures.

USA TODAY

53% of Milwaukees Black Men are Unemployed

More than half of Milwaukee’s black men were out of work in 2009, according to a new study from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
At 53.3 percent, black male joblessness in 2009 was nearly two-and-a-half times the rate of joblessness for white Milwaukee-area males (22.3 percent) between the ages of 16 and 64, according to UWM’s Center for Economic Development.

Milwaukee’s jobless rate for black men is second only two Detroit, and the Milwaukee metro area ranks first in the racial disparity of jobless rates among the nation’s top 40 urban areas.
“Not only does joblessness among black men in 2009 show a substantial increase — 13.4 percent from just the previous year — but since 1970, the black male jobless rate in Milwaukee has more than doubled,” said UWM history professor Marc Levine, who authored the report.
The recent recession is not the only factor to blame, says Levine. Milwaukee’s black men already were plagued by unusually high unemployment.

Census data backs up the report, showing that Milwaukee was the fourth-most impoverished big city in America last year, behind Detroit, Cleveland and Buffalo. Levine, who has been tracking unemployment in this group for the last decade, adds that other factors account for the shrinking number of black men actively seeking work — the rise of mass incarceration since 1970 and changes in disability laws that enable men who had been counted as unemployed to be shifted to disability rolls.

In the report he outlines ideas that could help alleviate the ever-worsening unemployment situation for African-American men. Those include:
• Public job creation, including using federal funds for developing “green” jobs.
• Drug policy reform. About 10 percent of Milwaukee’s African-American men not in the work force are in prison, mostly on drug offenses.
• Enhanced job training and placement programs that include an adequately funded prisoner re-entry program.
• Public procurement rules that encourage purchasing from inner-city enterprises that hire African-American men.
• Strategies that give inner city workers better access to suburban jobs.

The Business JournalDate: Monday, October 25, 2010

Detroit Struggles With Rise In Murders Of Young Black Men

In Detroit, as jobs and hope have evaporated in the wake of a gnawing recession, the fallout has been more than just economic. For a tiny slice of the population, it's become increasingly fatal.
For black males in the city between ages 15 and 24, the chances of getting murdered have risen rapidly in recent years, increasing from 79 in 2005 to 102 last year. The number reached a high of 115 in 2008.

"We are aware of it," said interim Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee Jr. "We are concerned." "There's a lot of young kids dying," said Lyvonne Cargill, a 39-year-old Detroiter whose son Je'Rean "Blake" Nobles was gunned down May 14 a few blocks from her eastside home. He was 17. Environment needs changeAntonio Webster, strolling through his crumbling neighborhood off Grand River north of I-94, is a 17-year-old high school dropout who doesn't have a steady job. He recently finished a stint in a juvenile detention center.

Police have long known that youths like Webster are overrepresented at the county morgue. Yet, they and others have been surprised by an increase that can be found in area cemeteries, in graffiti memorializing the dead and in the fear that pervades the living. "Nobody thinks positive," Webster said. When asked what he wants to be doing in five years, he shrugs.

It's not just in Detroit; national crime experts have noted the increase across the country. A 2009 report showed that young black males were both dying in greater numbers and committing more crimes, including murder. As city leaders acknowledge and grapple with the problem, they find themselves trying to solve the murders -- and the problems that are causing so many. Cargill wants her son's accused killer, Chauncey Owens, to go to prison. But she wants to see changes so her 11-year-old son can grow up safe. She said the city needs more opportunities for children to work and play. "Us people have to step up," she said.
In a city struggling to keep cops on the street, it's been difficult to expand the types of recreation programs Cargill advocates. And jobs have been scarce in much of the city. Godbee said the police department recently participated in a national youth violence prevention forum in Detroit hosted by the U.S. Department of Justice and city officials will travel to San Jose, Calif., in the fall for another forum.

In the short term, Detroit police will use data to determine how officers are deployed to head off crime. The practice started last year under former chief Warren Evans and is continuing under Godbee. Under this strategy, officials analyze crime trends and deploy patrols and sting operations accordingly. To address the issue of youthful homicide victims over the long term, Godbee said mentors, jobs, better education, more involved parents and community-based programs will be needed, as well as anger management training.
"The end game is a holistic approach," Godbee said. "We have to change the systemic environment that leads to violence."

Mayor Dave Bing held a youth forum recently. Godbee said young people at the event cried out for mentors and for more involved parents. Godbee praised community-based efforts like the Made Men patrols that started last fall at schools. The effort was spearheaded by the Rev. Edgar Vann, pastor of Second Ebenezer Church. Vann also offers mentoring programs through his church and the Vanguard Community Development Corp. "There is a lack of hope with many young people and we have to help them get that back," Vann said. He agrees with Godbee that education is the key, but says many city schools are not up to par and threats of violence keep students away. "It is easy to tell a young person to stay in school, but what if there are gangs?" Vann said. "What then?" 'Well out of control'For Yusef Shakur, 37, a one-time gang member who went to prison and now counsels youths like Webster on how to improve their lives, the solution is simpler. "The culture, it has to be changed," said Shakur, who has gotten a college degree and written two books on his experiences since his release from prison. "The normal has become abnormal and the abnormal has become normal."

Too many youngsters are numb to the possibility of death, he said. For them, it's a potential "badge of honor." High school isn't a viable option for many and most can't see beyond the boarded-up and fire-damaged homes in their neighborhoods. That people find life cheap doesn't surprise Shakur. "It's a reflection of a deteriorating city," he said. With the exodus of many of the city's middle-class families, what remains are homogenous neighborhoods filled with the poor and less educated. Far more boys drop out of high school than graduate and only one out of four has a job.

Common disputes can quickly escalate into gun battles; the results are often fatal.
"They're not abiding by anybody's rules," said criminologist Carl Taylor of Michigan State University. "It's a total breakdown of social norms." When he grew up in Detroit, Taylor said, his teachers were his neighbors, as were area businessmen. There were standards to meet and social rules to follow. Not so today, he said: "In some neighborhoods, there is almost anarchy and no one wants to address that." Taylor said public officials have to acknowledge the problem first. He said many leaders have been reluctant to talk about Detroit's murder problem because it's bad news few want to share. Then, they have to act. "This is well out of control but it's been well out of control for some time," Taylor said. "If you don't do something, the facts I'm looking at, it's only going to get worse."

On the east side, Lyvonne Cargill is recovering from back surgery and getting ready to relive her son's death with Owens' upcoming trial. She's still mourning the loss of her son. Cargill is urging leaders and parents to work on a solution so no one, she said, has to follow in her shoes.
"Listen to your kids and pay attention to your kids," she said. "Our kids need us."

From The Detroit News

Mixing Prints/Patterns

One thing I absolutely positively love doing is mixing patterns. Not because its it “IT” thing to do, but because matching takes wayyyyyy to long. I like to put on my outfit and go.
Mixing different prints and patterns also is a fabulous way to create more variety in your outfits, giving your outfit some interesting depth which is definitely a must if you want to take a more individualistic and personal approach to dressing.

When mixing patterns there are no “real” rules. No hold bars it's whatever you like. I will suggest however not to mix pattern/prints with the same pattern/print. I.e. polka dots on top of polka dots. It just makes people head hurt when they look at you.

Other than that, wear your mixed patterns/prints with confidence, and you’ll be good.

The Middle Class In America Is Radically Shrinking

The Middle Class in America Is Radically Shrinking. Here Are the Stats to Prove It.

The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer at a staggering rate. Once upon a time, the United States had the largest and most prosperous middle class in the history of the world, but now that is changing at a blinding pace.

So why are we witnessing such fundamental changes? Well, the globalism and "free trade" that our politicians and business leaders insisted would be so good for us have had some rather nasty side effects. It turns out that they didn't tell us that the "global economy" would mean that middle class American workers would eventually have to directly compete for jobs with people on the other side of the world where there is no minimum wage and very few regulations. The big global corporations have greatly benefited by exploiting third world labor pools over the last several decades, but middle class American workers have increasingly found things to be very tough.

Here are the statistics to prove it:
• 83 percent of all U.S. stocks are in the hands of 1 percent of the people.
• 61 percent of Americans "always or usually" live paycheck to paycheck, which was up from 49 percent in 2008 and 43 percent in 2007.
• 66 percent of the income growth between 2001 and 2007 went to the top 1% of all Americans.
• 36 percent of Americans say that they don't contribute anything to retirement savings.
• A staggering 43 percent of Americans have less than $10,000 saved up for retirement.
• 24 percent of American workers say that they have postponed their planned retirement age in the past year.
• Over 1.4 million Americans filed for personal bankruptcy in 2009, which represented a 32 percent increase over 2008.
• Only the top 5 percent of U.S. households have earned enough additional income to match the rise in housing costs since 1975.
• For the first time in U.S. history, banks own a greater share of residential housing net worth in the United States than all individual Americans put together.
• In 1950, the ratio of the average executive's paycheck to the average worker's paycheck was about 30 to 1. Since the year 2000, that ratio has exploded to between 300 to 500 to one.
• As of 2007, the bottom 80 percent of American households held about 7% of the liquid financial assets.
• The bottom 50 percent of income earners in the United States now collectively own less than 1 percent of the nation’s wealth.
• Average Wall Street bonuses for 2009 were up 17 percent when compared with 2008.
• In the United States, the average federal worker now earns 60% MORE than the average worker in the private sector.
• The top 1 percent of U.S. households own nearly twice as much of America's corporate wealth as they did just 15 years ago.
• In America today, the average time needed to find a job has risen to a record 35.2 weeks.
• More than 40 percent of Americans who actually are employed are now working in service jobs, which are often very low paying.
• or the first time in U.S. history, more than 40 million Americans are on food stamps, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture projects that number will go up to 43 million Americans in 2011.
• This is what American workers now must compete against: in China a garment worker makes approximately 86 cents an hour and in Cambodia a garment worker makes approximately 22 cents an hour.
• Approximately 21 percent of all children in the United States are living below the poverty line in 2010 - the highest rate in 20 years.
• Despite the financial crisis, the number of millionaires in the United States rose a whopping 16 percent to 7.8 million in 2009.
• The top 10 percent of Americans now earn around 50 percent of our national income.

Giant Sucking Sound
The reality is that no matter how smart, how strong, how educated or how hard working American workers are, they just cannot compete with people who are desperate to put in 10 to 12 hour days at less than a dollar an hour on the other side of the world. After all, what corporation in their right mind is going to pay an American worker 10 times more (plus benefits) to do the same job? The world is fundamentally changing. Wealth and power are rapidly becoming concentrated at the top and the big global corporations are making massive amounts of money. Meanwhile, the American middle class is being systematically wiped out of existence as U.S. workers are slowly being merged into the new "global" labor pool.
What do most Americans have to offer in the marketplace other than their labor? Not much. The truth is that most Americans are absolutely dependent on someone else giving them a job. But today, U.S. workers are "less attractive" than ever. Compared to the rest of the world, American workers are extremely expensive, and the government keeps passing more rules and regulations seemingly on a monthly basis that makes it even more difficult to conduct business in the United States.
So corporations are moving operations out of the U.S. at breathtaking speed. Since the U.S. government does not penalize them for doing so, there really is no incentive for them to stay.
What has developed is a situation where the people at the top are doing quite well, while most Americans are finding it increasingly difficult to make it. There are now about six unemployed Americans for every new job opening in the United States, and the number of "chronically unemployed" is absolutely soaring. There simply are not nearly enough jobs for everyone.
Many of those who are able to get jobs are finding that they are making less money than they used to. In fact, an increasingly large percentage of Americans are working at low wage retail and service jobs.
But you can't raise a family on what you make flipping burgers at McDonald's or on what you bring in from greeting customers down at the local Wal-Mart.
The truth is that the middle class in America is dying -- and once it is gone it will be incredibly difficult to rebuild.

EmailPrint.From The Business Insider
Editor's note: Michael Snyder is editor of theeconomiccollapseblog.com

Runaway by Kanye West

I love the Video..... I just dont get it : /

One Way to Lower A Doctor's Bill

Last year, he was able to knock $1,000 off the $4,000 price of his daughter's birth simply by asking the hospital, obstetrician, anesthesiologist and pediatrician to each reduce their bills by 25 percent if he paid the bill in full over the phone.

"It seems the medical establishment is so used to getting stiffed by patients who either declare bankruptcy or just flat-out refuse to pay, that they'll give up one in the bush for three in the hand," Mr. Villarreal wrote in his book.
What was his exact script? Here it is.

"Hey, my friend told me that if I offer to pay the bill in full over the phone, I get a 25 percent discount." And the response he generally received was "O.K." "It was the same conversation with the doctors as it was with the hospital. There was no negotiation whatsoever. Just standard procedure," Mr. Villarreal said by e-mail.

I think I'm going to adopt Mr. Villarreal's approach when I feel a medical bill is inflated. Asking for a discount in this way over the phone seems less embarrassing and confrontational than asking the doctor in person for a discount. I have to admit I've done that successfully in the past, but now I feel slightly awkward about visiting those doctors again. No wonder other tips for haggling with a doctor also similarly recommend offering to pay a discounted amount immediately or upfront.

Still, as I discussed in this recent Bucks post about punishing doctors who make you wait, whether your doctor's office will be allowed to offer you a discount generally depends on the insurance policy and the practice's philosophy, among other variables.

"Secrets of a Stingy Scoundrel: 100 Dirty Little Money-Grubbing Secrets," Consumerist.com's contributing editor Phil Villarreal

Yet Another BP Parody

Keep em Coming Youtube!

WWPD (WHAT WOULD PETA DO?)

So Far BPs Oil spill has killed
3,412 Seals

7,050 Gulf Coast Birds

845 Clown Fish (including Nemo)

209 Sting Rays

14 Parrots

333 Dolphins

Jaws

A lot of Coral

4 Gorillas

22 Elephants

17 snakes

Simba and Mufasa

6 Hyenas

67 Roaches

And a handful of homo-sapiens

And what have PETA SAID ABOUT THIS..Absolutely NOTHING!!!

*disclaimer: these numbers are only an estimate. Who knows how many Parrots BP have actually killed???

When I logged onto Peta.com, I was certain that they would jump down BP throat (just like they did Vick when he killed some Vicious pitbulls) but NOPE! Nothing was said! I didnt see any campaigns to stop using BP gas, what you can do to help the animals, NOTHING!! So Ive come to the conclusion that either BP is paying Peta to overlook this devasting tragedy or Peta doesnt care about animals covered in black oil (in my Kanye voice). I found three articles where Peta addressed the oil spill and this is what they had to say "dont blame BP. It's your fault. Stop eating meat!" Great advice Peta that definitely makes me feel more at ease about BP polluting our ocean.

Texas changes History: Politics Overpowering Education

The Texas Board of Education approved a curriculum that will change history, social studies and economics textbooks. The man in charge of pushing this new textbook bill through is Don McLeroy. Some people wonder what expertise McLeroy has to change history. Hes not a Historian, an Economist, or a teacher, hes a dentist in training (thats right A DENTIST). McLeroy claims that the Texas curriculum had been "unfairly skewed to the left" and that he wants to bring it back into balance. Conservative balance that is! Some of the new textbooks will include:

1. The words of Jefferson Davis, President of the confederacy during the civil war, be considered right along with President Lincoln.

2. The new curriculum plays down the role of Thomas Jefferson among the founding fathers, questions the separation of church and state, and claims that the U.S. government was infiltrated by Communists during the Cold War

3. The new textbook stresses the superiority of American capitalism (you know the superiority that says its okay for the top 1% to have 90% of the countrys profit.)

4. They also included a plank to ensure that students learn about the conservative resurgence of the 1980s and 1990s, including Phyllis Schlafly, the Contract With America, the Heritage Foundation, the Moral Majority and the National Rifle Association.

5. High school students will learn about leading conservative groups from the 1980s and 1990s but not about liberal or minority rights groups.

6. Board members also rejected requiring history teachers and textbooks to provide coverage on the late U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy and new Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, while the late President Ronald Reagan was elevated to more prominent coverage.

7. Civil Rights Movement will be downplayed and all the credit will be given to the Republicans because they signed the bill for equal rights.


Thats just a handful of what is going to be changed. These new textbooks are meant for Texans students but what happens in Texas definitely does NOT stay in Texas. Texas has an estimated 4.8 million students that will be studying the revised curriculum over the next decade and Because the Texas textbook market is so large, books assigned to the state's 4.8 million students often rocket to the top of the market, decreasing costs for other school districts and leading them to buy the same materials. So in a few years your children will be reading these books. Arne Duncan, the Secretary of Education, said school officials should keep politics out of curriculum debates stating, "We do a disservice to children when we shield them from the truth, just because some people think it is painful or doesn't fit with their particular views. They are going overboard, they are not experts, they are not historians, she states. Changing history is only one of the first steps to Social Dictatorship. They are rewriting history, not only of Texas but of the United States and the world.


WHAT CAN I IDO:
1. Sign NAACP petition to stop these textbooks for reaching into other states at
2. Call your local elected officials urging them not to allow Texas new textbooks into the school systems
3. Call Texas officials and Shame them for thinking this was a good idea
4. Found out what dentist office Don McLeroy is working at, get your teeth done, AND NEVER PAY!
*disclaimer My suggestions are better than Bp's

Look Out Artist: J. Cole

J. Cole may seem like he just came out of nowhere but this North Carolina rapper has more Buzz than a Bumblebee. Coles music is a mash up of dusty, soul filled sound beds, raw, energetic drums and an endless range of topics ranging from everything from carefree days of college to the endless plight of those have-nots scrapping for change Cole is here to sway Hip Hop it in a more insightful, meaningful and passionate direction.


Jermaine Cole, better known as his stage name J. Cole, was born in Frankfurt, Germany, and then shortly after moved to Fayetteville, North Carolina, where he was raised by his mother. Since the age of 12 he always knew that he wanted to be a rapper and by age 15 had notebooks filled with Rhymes. He even learned how to produce his music using a beat machine. By the time he graduated high school in 2003 Cole has a surefire way to get signed. He decided that he had a better chance of getting signed in New York City, so he attended St. John's on an academic scholarship. After graduating Cole released his debut mixtape The Come Up, in late 2007, two years later he released his second mixtape the Warm Up. Since then J. Cole has signed to Roc Nation and also appeared on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint 3, on the track "A Star Is Born. Cole has is currently working on his first debut album. If his album is anything like his mixtapes then expect only greatness.

Help wildlife threatened by the oil spill

A massive oil slick caused by the BP oil drilling platform explosion in the Gulf of Mexico has reached the U.S. Gulf Coast. Efforts are already underway to protect sensitive ecological areas.

Many organizations are preparing to mobilize along the coast from Louisiana to Florida to help rescue animals and wildlife. The oil poses a serious threat to fishermen's livelihoods, marine habitats, beaches, wildlife, and human health.

Although BP has publicly stated the company will pay for all damages from the oil spill, many organizations still rely on donations to protect wildlife from this type of impact. For example, Greenpeace stated that it has opened support lines to report oiled wildlife, discuss oil-related damage, and for volunteer recruitment, and the group relies on donations from individuals for this type of work.

Click on the organizations below to donate or volunteer to help the wildlife and areas threatened by the oil spill.

Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana

Building a list of volunteers prepared to help with this response including wildlife recovery, monitoring and photographing oil movement, and providing a boats and drivers for response activities. Donate to Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. Register to volunteer with Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana.

Defenders of Wildlife

Urging the public to help prevent another drilling disaster through advocacy. Donate to Defenders of Wildlife. Find volunteer opportunities with Defenders of Wildlife.

Emerald CoastKeeper

Gathering volunteer crews ready to help clean-up efforts. Donate to Emerald CoastKeeper. Find volunteer opportunities with Emerald CoastKeeper.

Greenpeace USA

Defending our oceans and protecting our environment from toxic pollution like the recent oil spill. Donate to Greenpeace USA. Find volunteer opportunities with Greenpeace USA.

Louisiana Wildlife Rehabilitators Association

Advocates for preserving Louisiana's battered coastal ecosystem. Donate to Louisiana Wildlife Rehabilitators Association.

Multiracial USA

The minority population in the United States is steadily rising and makes up 35% of the total, advancing an unmistakable trend that could render them the new American majority by midcentury.
New Census Bureau estimates for 2009 show that the minority population grew by 2.5%, boosted by a surge in births among Latinos and an increase in the number of people who describe themselves as multiracial. During this time, the white population remained flat, making up roughly 65% of the country (199.9 million people).
In 2000, whites comprised 79% of the total population and minorities 21%.
Four states -- Hawaii, New Mexico, California and Texas -- as well as Washington, D.C., have minority populations that exceeded 50%. About 316 of the 3,143 counties -- one in 10 -- have minority populations of 50% or greater. That's up from more than 250 counties in 2000 .And it's one state more than in 2000, when Texas had not yet become a minority state. The 35% overall minority proportion of the population was up from 34% a year ago.
The new Census Bureau estimates, released Thursday, documented a widening age and race divide. They also are the last government numbers that will be available before the completion of the 2010 census, which could change the balance of political power when legislative districts are redrawn based on population and racial diversity.
The overall rise in the minority population is due to recent sharp increases in minority births, especially among Latinos, who made up more than half of the total population gains last year. There are roughly nine births for every death among the Latino population, compared to a roughly one-to-one ratio for whites.
As a result, even with immigration of Latinos slowing, U.S. minorities make up 49% of the children born in the U.S., up one percentage point from 2008. Based on current rates, data from the 2010 census could show a new tipping point in which babies born to minorities outnumber those of babies born to whites.
Multiracial Americans, the fastest growing U.S. demographic group, also are adding to minority gains. About 5.3 million people last year were identified as being of multiple race or ethnicity, up 3.2% from the previous year.
The Latino population grew by 3.1% to 48.4 million and the Asian population increased 2.5% to 13.7 million. They now represent about 15.8% and 4.5% of the U.S. population, respectively.Blacks, who make up about 12.3% of the population, increased less than 1% last year to 37.7 million.
Most parts of the country are now totally dependent on minorities for achieving growth in their young adult and child populations, said William H. Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution, citing the low birth rates among whites as well as the aging white baby-boomer population.
Minorities are especially important for current and future labor force gains in all but the most rapidly growing parts of the country, he said.
-- Associated Press

The Boondocks

Im not sure whether to call it offensive or educational either way its hard to turn off. The Boondocks started as a comic strip written and drawn by Aaron McGruder. The comic strip features Huey Freeman - A 10-year-old boy with strident political awareness, and who sees himself as a revolutionary. Riley Freeman - The opposite of his older brother, praises the "thug life, and admires the rappers and thugs he sees on television. Other characters includes Rileys and Hueys grandfather, Robert Freeman. Thomas and Sara Dubois - An interracial couple in the neighborhood. Jazmine Dubois - Thomas and Sara's biracial, 10-year-old daughter.

If youve never sat down and watched an episode of the Boondocks it usually goes like this; Excessive use of the N-word, unflattering portrayal of African Americans people, political controversy, and the relentless bashing of entertainers. Im not that upset at the political controversy because we need to hear the stories of Bushs involvement with 9/11, Reagans treacherous ways and the fact that Condoleezza need a man. Im not even upset at the entertainer bashing because NOBODY is off limits when it comes to comedy. What seems to upset me most about this cartoon in the negative portrayal of African Americans. For instance the 1st episode of the 3rd season implicated that African Americans are only Dick Riding Obama because he is black, It even had a song entitled Dick Riding Obama. I guess its not possible to agree with his propaganda and his intelligence without it being called Dick Riding Season 3 is not the only time McGruder has crossed the line. Other controversial shows includes the depiction of BET as an evil media empire plotting the destruction of black people (okay that might be true). Another episode I recall is when Grandpa Freeman allowed Katrina victims to stay at his house and the Katrina victims were portrayed as lazy, sloppy, greedy, selfish, all while waiting on a Fema check. Although I wasnt a Katrina victim I felt as did not take into consideration that Katrina victims watched that show and felt discredited.

McGruder, admits he is purposely provocative -- he wants people to talk about the strip and show and watch and find them funny. But he also wants people to talk about issues they wouldn't otherwise confront and go beyond racial issues. Yea its a cartoon and its funny but the entertainment purposes overshadows the discussion it intends to provoke. I understand theres comedy and nobody is immune to comedic attacks, but to purposely portray a race (your own race at that) so viciously shouldnt be called comedy, more like treason. African Americans have a long way to go as far as respect and boondocks might give us a laugh or two but its harming more than hurting all while setting African Americans further back. Some of Mcgruders biggest critics have wondered whether his primary intent is to entertain instead of provoke real dialogue, and whether he is just capitalizing on hot-button issues.



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BP's Apology (Spoof)

HI-EFFIN-LARIOUS

Bet's founder ashamed of the network

The Daily Beast caught up with Sheila Johnson, co-founder of BET this past week during the Tribeca Film Festival and she shared her thoughts on the network since selling it to Viacom in 2000.

"Dont even get me started, I dont watch it. I suggest to my kids [a 20-something daughter and a college-age son] that they dont watch it Im ashamed of it, if you want to know the truth. t wasnt always that way. When we started BET, it was going to be the Ebony magazine on television, Johnson tells me. We had public affairs programming. We had news I had a show called Teen Summit, we had a large variety of programming, but the problem is that then the video revolution started up And then something started happening, and I didnt like it all. And I remember during those days we would sit up and watch these videos and decide which ones were going on and which ones were not. We got a lot of backlash from recording artistsand we had to start showing them. I didnt like the way women were being portrayed in these videos. I just really wish, and not just BET, but a lot of television programming that they would stop lowering the bar so far just so they can get eyeballs to the screen. I know they think thats whats going to keep programming on the air; thats whats going to sell advertising. But there has got to be some responsibility. Somebody has got to take this over. Because with all the studies that are out there, this is contributing to an atmosphere of free sex, I dont have to protect myself anymore."

Interesting article. Sheila & Bob Johnson started the network 3 decades ago with $15,000 in seed money and $500,000 from an investor. When they sold the company to Viacom in 2000, they pocketed 1.3 billion making them the first African American billionaires in the nation.

Dear Sheila DON'T complain because its your fault. What did you think selling the company to Viacom was going to do?? She saw those billions and SOLD OUT!

Gulf Oil Spill

An oil spill that threatened to eclipse even the Exxon Valdez disaster spread out of control with a faint sheen washing ashore along the Gulf Coast Thursday night as fishermen rushed to scoop up shrimp and crews spread floating barriers around marshes.

The spill was bigger than imagined five times more than first estimated and closer. Faint fingers of oily sheen were reaching the Mississippi River delta, lapping the Louisiana shoreline in long, thin lines.

The oil slick could become the nation's worst environmental disaster in decades, threatening hundreds of species of fish, birds and other wildlife along the Gulf Coast, one of the world's richest seafood grounds, teeming with shrimp, oysters and other marine life. Thicker oil was in waters south and east of the Mississippi delta about five miles offshore.

The leak from the ocean floor proved to be far bigger than initially reported, contributing to a growing sense among many in Louisiana that the government failed them again, just as it did during Hurricane Katrina. President Barack Obama dispatched Cabinet officials to deal with the crisis.

The Coast Guard worked with BP, which operated the oil rig that exploded and sank last week, to deploy floating booms, skimmers and chemical dispersants, and set controlled fires to burn the oil off the water's surface.

The company has requested more resources from the Defense Department, especially underwater equipment that might be better than what is commercially available. A BP executive said the corporation would "take help from anyone."

Government officials said the blown-out well 40 miles offshore is spewing five times as much oil into the water as originally estimated about 5,000 barrels, or 200,000 gallons, a day.

At that rate, the spill could eclipse the worst oil spill in U.S. history the 11 million gallons that leaked from the grounded tanker Exxon Valdez in Alaska's Prince William Sound in 1989 in the three months it could take to drill a relief well and plug the gushing well 5,000 feet underwater on the sea floor.

Ultimately, the spill could grow much larger than the Valdez because Gulf of Mexico wells tap deposits that hold many times more oil than a single tanker. -- Geoff Mohan

Source: LA Times/Enviornment

The Changing of The Guard: Class In Session

Class distinctions were once rigid, unbending social structures that one had to be born into. In times past, it was difficult if not impossible to move up or down. Breeding, pedigree, background, education, the right schools, the right colleges, and the right Greek organizations (1906-1913) were all qualifications one must have had to be a member of the black higher classes. Looking at photos from any era, one could judge the subjects class by their clothing. Style was indicative to class. Class then was more of a caste, an immobile structure.

The class structures of today are based solely on family salaries. And though most of the buying power lies in the wallets of the white upper-class, it is the black lower class that spends the most money on fashion. For those who grew up near or around project homes, they may remember that the kids who lived there often wore the latest and most expensive clothes.

One reason for this dis-correlation between earnings and spending is television. The entertainment industry has allowed those who normally wouldnt have been accepted into the upper-class to buy their way up. And those people- athletes, actors, singers, dancers, etc- have in turn brought the upper class back to the hood by influencing its occupants to buy upper-class priced clothing.

So the end result is that most families who survive off (in a year) less than what an upper-class family makes (in a month) will continue to spend money on things that they cant afford to emulate people whom they dont know. Thus, the lower-class will continue to grow poorer and the upper-class, who makes and markets these fashions, will continue to grow richer



                                                                         James R Jones
                                                               jjoneswrites@yahoo.com

Album Reviews

I was expecting a "lets change the world, Kumbayaa, love peace and soul" album but it was not what I expected. Erykah Badu's album impressed in more ways than one. "The album is so rich with sample-reliant songs that it sometimes resembles a glorified mixtape."

Her songs ranged from Losing love and regaining cofidence in "20 feet tall" to playing on the foolish blindness of love in "You loving me" to sampling the late great Big Papa's hit song "Get Munny". This album is sure to please with its "rich and layered  sound, piano/key structure, guitar/bass pacing and loose vocal construction."

This album is brilliant no matter how you take it.

The adventures of Bobby Ray; B.o.B.'s first full length record, The Adventures of Bobby Ray, is a lot of things. It's pop ("Nothin' on You feat. Bruno Mars"). It's straight-up rap ("Bet I feat. T.I. and Playboy Tre").  It's smooth R&B ("The Kids feat. Janelle Monae"). It's indie pop ("Magic feat. Rivers Cuomo"). It's emo alt-rock ("Airplanes feat. Hayley Williams" and "Airplanes Pt. II feat. Eminem and Hayley Williams").

That sounds, on paper, like a recipe for disaster, or at least something somewhat less than cohesive. And that would be the case if it all weren't so amazingly good. At its heart, the record is hip-hop, but B.o.B.  takes that genre and melds it effectively with a number of different musical ideas. B.o.B. is: an interesting musician  with an intriguing career ahead of him.

Written by Phil Owen

When I heard Usher's "Daddy's Home" I enjoyed it. (even though he's a lil too old to be singing such an elementary song). Then I heard "OMG" and was even more impressed! Then he came with "There goes my baby" and it blew me out the water. Usher gave me goosbumps with that song. Then "Little Freak", a bit Cruddy but I still rocked with it.

Back to back to back Usher was coming out with chart topping singles which made me even more excited to buy the CD. BUT when I bought the CD is was a HUGE dissapoint. His CD wasnt what I expected and didnt give me the Pizazz I was expecting. So I not saying that I hated it... I just like his singles much better.

I have to give him his props, Justin Beiber is one talented teenager."After years of humdrum bubblegum from Miley Cyrus and the brothers Jonas, the 16-year-old has thrown a candy-coated wrench into Disney's heartthrob assembly line by giving young fans something worth screaming their lungs out for: lovable pop songs." Even though everybody knows that he's singing about things he's never been through (love and love lost)... He has a way of making us believe he has through his powerful voice. Hope he stays on top and not fizzle like 94.9% of all the other teenage pop stars.

Double Down or Heart Attack??!?!

KFC’s new Double Down sandwich has been buzzed about since its ingredients were revealed. The Double Down is essentially a sandwich with two chicken fillets taking the place of bread slices. In between are two pieces of bacon, melted slices of Monterey Jack and Pepper Jack cheese and a zesty sauce. The sandwich will pack 540 calories, 32 grams of fat and 1,380 milligrams of sodium, according to KFC.

This thing looks like it should come with a bottle of Aspirin, just in case you have a HEART ATTACK after consuming something like this! Should you eat this? Probably not. It is very much what you think it is, a sloppy and salty mess, and will make your stomach hurt for several hours after you've consumed it.

Garbage Patch

Researchers are warning of a new blight on the ocean: a swirl of confetti-like plastic debris stretching over thousands of square miles in a remote expanse of the Atlantic Ocean. The debris is harmful for fish, sea mammals — and at the top of the food chain, potentially humans — even though much of the plastic has broken into such tiny pieces they are nearly invisible.

Since there is no realistic way of cleaning the oceans, advocates say the key is to keep more plastic out by raising awareness and, wherever possible, challenging a throwaway culture that uses non-biodegradable materials for disposable products. "Our job now is to let people know that plastic ocean pollution is a global problem — it unfortunately is not confined to a single patch," Cummins said.

Long trails of seaweed, mixed with bottles, crates and other flotsam, drift in the still waters of the area, known as the North Atlantic Subtropical Convergence Zone. Cummins' team even netted a Trigger fish trapped alive inside a plastic bucket.But the most nettlesome trash is nearly invisible: countless specks of plastic, often smaller than pencil erasers, suspended near the surface of the deep blue Atlantic.

Plastics have entangled birds and turned up in the bellies of fish: A paper cited by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says as many as 100,000 marine mammals could die trash-related deaths each year.

Source: http://www.michaelmoore.com

Nas Vs. Kelis: Its Cheaper to keep her!

Nas must have really pissed his wife Kelis off!

The NY rapper went to court Monday to handle some legal business involving his ongoing divorce battle with his estranged wife, singer Kelis. And TMZ is reporting that Nas was ordered to immediately pay over $87,000 in back child/spousal support.

He was also ordered to fork over $10,000/mo in spousal support until he pays off the $299,015.50 he already owes her. In addition, The 36-year-old emcee must pay 90% of Kelis’ legal fees, which amount to $155,787.28. And lastly, Nas was ordered to pay over $48,000 to cover his soon-to-be ex-wife’s accounting expenses.

Did this dude just get raped or what?!

Source: http://gossiponthis.com/

Featured Video "La Roux": Impeccable Style & Individuality

La roux is an astonishing duo out of the UK.."When La Roux's uptempo synths kick in at the opening here, music fans will be instantly transported to 80's electropop memories" Not only is the song "Bulletproof amazing but thier visual style is as arresting as the music."

La Roux's lead singer, Elly Jackson's, style is one that she owns and can be compared to the timeless trends of the 80's. Her style is so influential mainly because its one of a kind. Elly Jackson is a refreshing alternative to the hashed up and mashed up graphic artists and fashionistas. She proves that you dont have to show skin and wear skimpy clothes to get fans all you need is good music.

Elly Jackson has a strong individualistic attitude and her music brings back something that was lost in the midst of the modern music today, Enjoy her video as she shows us impeccable style, immaculate visualiztaions, and unaltered music.

The Changing of the Guard: Style Versus Fashion as Defined Within the Rise of the Black Middle Class

Though most people within the black diaspora share a common history and heritage, our views on that history and heritage are skewed and separated due to our varying memberships within the class structures of our society. Though believed to be a reconstruction-period invention, the black middle class, and higher social classes still, extend as far back as the beginning of time-in Africa.

To know that we are a people with such a vast history is also to know that both style and fashion have played a major part of our culture since its ancient origins. Within every class structure, there has always existed a standard of dress which defined and divided the classes.

In modern times, it would seem that those standards have all but disappeared. The Old Guard of yesterday, a formal society consisting of top hats, pearls, silk gowns, canes, tuxedo jackets, shawls, and wingtips is being replaced with the The New Guard of today, a shapeless mass of people prone to jeans, graphic Ts, stilettos, Timberland boots, and gaudy diamonds.

When looking at the relaxed standards of dress between the classes, the question arises: Is our clothing defined by our social class? Another question can also be pondered: Does our belonging to a particular class dictate our wardrobes.

I am not an expert on fashion. But I am an expert on literature. In the African American Literature genre, our peoples travels from Africa, to Europe, to Asia, to the Carribean, and to America have been documented. Within the pages of these books also lies the testimony that clothing was essential to our culture.

Looking back allows us to look at now. And perhaps if we knew of our rise, we would understand where and how we fell- with style and fashion that is. Also, we would understand that the things we put on daily do, or at least once did, speak volumes of our backgrounds, families, home sizes, cars, back accounts, cattle heads, and yams stored in barns.

Lil Wayne's Letter From Jail

Lil Wayne wrote a letter to his fans from jail in Rikers Island.




Love. Live. Life. Proceed. Progress. Thats who I am and who Ill always be. You see, were all living on borrowed time, so Im not worried about this situation. Life happens quick. The more time you spend contemplating what you should have doneyou lose valuable time planning what you can and will do. Trying to tear down the past prohibits you from building up your future. So for my time here, my physical will be confined to the yard. My love and my spirit, however, know no boundaries.



Im in good spirits man, for real. My kids race through my mind all day. They know they were created with love, so love is how their life will be defined. I just hope my love and adoration for them provides a temporary bandage on a wound I unknowingly inflicted on them.



Real soon, you can catch me blogging for ESPN again thank you espn for not letting my passion for sports perish. I work out a lot because it helps pass the time. I read the Bible everyday. Jail didnt make me find God, Hes always been there. They can lock me up, but my spirit and my love can never be confined to prison walls.



But this isnt all about me, you are the reason for this letter. Its because of you Rebirth went gold when critics aborted it. Its because of you Young Money is and will always be a movement. If the weight of the world is on your shoulders, I beg of you, place it on mine. Thats the least I could do for you, after all you have sacrificed for me. If I could, Id write each one of you back. Because of this, my team and I have created a website where you can view my letters. Each week Ill answer as many questions as I possibly can.



Mia Edwards (Southern California) I wish you nothing but the best for you. Earning your Masters in Library and Information Science is beautiful. Ill keep you in mind whenever I decide to do an autobiography on my life.



Kelly Holloman (Brooklyn) I still remember your letter. You have a great spirit. Thank you for the words and being a real fan. I love you.



Nurris Terrero (New York) Your letter was so thoughtful and sincere. The way you worded everything left me in awe. Please send suggestions on books I should read. I look forward to checking them out.



For real, this will be the best way we can communicate for the coming months. The same way yall miss me, I miss yall, only 100 times more. To those who hate. Hate is only a form love that hasnt found a way to express itself logically. Keep sending the letters and I promise keep responding. Thank YOU, thank YOU, thank YOU. No matter what they do to erase me, my love for you will always be permanent. Remember that. Take care. God bless.



Give me the patience that I need



To keep my piece of mind,



And with lifes cares, I hope, Dear God,



Some happiness to find.



Give me the courage to face life`s trials



and not to from troubles run.



let me keep this thought in mind.



Thy Will, not Mine, be done.



- Pray

M.I.A. Goes in on Lady Gaga

Songwriter/producer/musician M.I.A recently spoke out on how she feels about fellow Pop singer LADY GAGA's rapid rise to superstardom. Mathangi Maya Arulpragasam, most known simply by her stage name M.I.A. said that she thinks that Gaga is simply a mimic of whats been done before, adding that her music isnt truly genuine. She says all of this in her cover issue for NME Magazine, a British publication.

"People say were similar, that we both mix all these things in the pot and spit them out differently, she said, but she spits it out exactly the same. None of her musics reflective of how weird she wants to be or thinks she is."

She added: "She models herself on Grace Jones and Madonna but the music sounds like 20 year-old Ibiza disco. Shes not progressive, but shes a good mimic. She sounds more like me than I f**king do! Thats a talent but shes the industrys last stab at making itself important."

Movie Reviews

When did it become cool to take a loveable childrens'story and turn it into a borderline horror movie? "Alice in Wonderland" is just plain difficult to watch. The movie is simply an eyesore. Gaudy colors and shallow artifice everywhere, all of it overflowing with annoying, overacted eccentric weirdos. After sitting at the movies for3 hours I was more than ESTATIC to see Alice become a businesswomen........A BUSINESSWOMAN????

Whats this??? Isn't he a vampire or something

 

 

Facebook Faux-Pas

With more than 400 million active visitors, Facebook is arguably the most popular social networking site out there. And while the site is known for the casual social aspect, many users also use it as a professional networking tool. With that kind of reach, Facebook can be a valuable tool for connecting to former and current colleagues, clients and potential employers. Some of these Facebook faux-pas they might cost you a great opportunity.

1. Inappropriate Pictures
It may go without saying, but prospective employers or clients don't want to see pictures of you chugging a bottle of wine or dressed up for a night at the bar.
2. Complaining About Your Current Job
You've no doubt done this at least once. It could be a full note about how much you hate your office, or how incompetent your boss is, or it could be as innocent as a status update about how your coworker always shows up late.
3. Statuses You Wouldn't Want Your Boss to See
Statuses that imply you are unreliable, deceitful, and basically anything that doesn't make you look as professional as you'd like, can seriously undermine your chances at landing that new job.
4. Guilty by Association
You can't control what your friends post to your profile (although you can remove it once you see it), nor what they post to their own profiles or to those of mutual friends. If a potential client or employer sees those Friday night pictures your friend has tagged you in where he is falling down drunk, it reflects poorly on you, even if the picture of you is completely innocent.
Facebook Can Help You Get Hired or Fired
The best advice is to lock down your personal profile so that only friends you approve can see anything on that profile. Then, create a second, public profile on Facebook purely for professional use.

Source Yahoo.com

Very Stylish Kids

I've always wondered who dresses these two. They're style is impeccable and they have'nt hit puberty yet.Willow and Jadan Smith not only show thier individuality through thier clothing but the look great doing it.

How 2 get over your EX

AS you may know summer time is nearing which means more skin and less clothes. It also means an alarming rate of breakups. if you so happen to be a victim of a "realtionship gone wrong', follow these steps and you should be fine.

Step 1: Mourn

Initially, the break up may hit you hard. It is alright to cry. Let it all out now, that is what the mourning stage is for.

Step 2: Distance Yourself

If the hurt and anger is overwhelming, distance yourself from your Ex completely.

Step 3: Stop being a Cyber stalker

Your morning routine should not consist of logging on to facebook or twitter and going straight to your ex's profile.

Step 4: Stop conversing about your ex

Every converstatioon should not be about your ex and honeslty who wants to sit around and talk about your ex all day?

Step 5: Learn How to Pass the Time Solo

You had a life before your ex came along, and you will have one after. Fill up your time with activities you enjoy.

Step 6: Remove memory triggers

There are all kinds of things that remind you of your ex - a teddy bear, a movie , a poem. Get rid of the things that reminds you of them. I'm not saying throw it away, just put in the deepest darkest closet you can find.

Step 7: No more Sex!

No intercourse, penetration, copulation, fornication, lovemaking, sleeping around, quickies, aftenoon delights, etc. Once you both decide to go your sepearate ways you should no longer be having sexual relations. Not only does it complicate things, but it makes it DAMN NEAR IMPOSSIBLE to move on.

Step 8: Forgive

Forgive your Ex, no matter what they did or didn't do. But remember forgiveness has little to do with words, and more to do with action.

Featured Video (Lady Gaga and Beyonce

Raise your hand if you've seen the latest Gaga video featuring Beyonce.




Now raise your hand if you thought it made any sense......




Don't worry, WE didnt get it either....... Hopefully the "featured video" will put things in perspective

What is Style Versus Fashion?

America is no longer a nation of individuality, its become a nation filled with self-gratifying groups and we’ve becoming a consuming society (especially African American youth). I’ve started this company because people will often enter a compulsive pursuit of ego-gratification (self-gratification) through fashion in order to identify with something. When Individuals fall into a frenzy of constant possesions, money, success, power, they lose their individuality, freedom, and free thought. Their obsession with fashion becomes their mind control which ultimately poisons that person and turn them into a social group other than a distinctive individual. Style Versus Fashion company focuses of Individuality “style”, as opposed to media consensus. “fashion”. You don’t need lots of money to be stylish. Style is your personality while Fashion is a social agreement usually determined by others (hence the name Style Versus Fashion)

So what is the difference between Style and Fashion?


Most people would think that there is NO difference between the two, but there are major differences.

Fashion is determined by others, usually magazines, models, media, etc. Fashion has time limits because its a trend; one day its in and the next its out. Fashion moves in cycles that are based on the collective social mood of the population and is usually looked at as a social agreement.

On the other hand, style is YOU. It's a perfect representation of yourself and who you are. Style is an extension of your attitude, personality, and instinct. Style is not material. It's a form of expression- a statement, and it's in the choices you make. Clothes are just one way of expressing style.

Fashion fades but Style is forever.

For the official site check out www.styleVERSUSfashion.com