You Tubin It, Sorta

So I got this from one of my fav blogs, Lipstick.Lace.Brassknuckles. This little girl it too cute and I kinda wish I could do that.

Day 26 Stan Reporting

So my boys are on the G-R-I-N-D. I gotta respect the hustle dem ninja's is determined to 'make it.' The entertainment game has changed for real. Ain't nobody making money of album sales so it's no longer the measuring stick for success. Now day's er'body some type of celebrity in they own little world. It's grind and longevity that'll be the true test. Who gonna be able to do a sellout a club venue and keep a steady fan base is gonna mean success.

Back to Day26. This week they released a new video album "Forever in Your Eyes" on iTunes and a new video for the single, "So Good." The video sucks. It's just a tad boring. The vixen's really brought it down for me. I guess good talent is hard to find. Maybe some baby oil and some commitment to the roles from the girls would have worked. They all wanna be actresses, right? Check the videos below.

To make this truly a fab year for Day 26 it would be great if they could get on a tour with Ne-Yo. They are gonna do a couple of dates with him, but full blown tour would be H-O-T.

Sextra: Fellas, the Sexy 6!

I came across this on Bossip and I decided to add my two cents.

Hey guys, it’s Friday, and how many of you will be chatting it up in front of an XBox, clutching a cold beer, talking about women and how they are never satisfied? Lots, right? Now let’s compare that number to the guys who will be cozied up in front of his flatscreen watching SportsCenter, clutching a cold beer AND his warm woman. Not many, right? At the end of the night, the XBoxers get nothing but their own hand service, while the other man gets to watch sports, drink beer AND get the good loving! Why? Because he’s taken the time to be a gentleman and, because of this, his lady could care less what he does in his spare time because when he all hers, she knows it without a doubt! It doesn’t take long guys, just some good old effort, time and attention! Besides, being a gentleman is sexy to a women, and will get you a permanent seat in her No.1 spot for the long run. A sexy body and face only go so far with a woman, but sexy ways will keep her open and loving you.

1.) Focus, Man – Fellas, put the cell phone down! One thing that is an immediate turn-off is when a man yammers on the phone with his boys during time that is supposed to spent with your lady! A woman’s time with her guy is supposed to be exclusive, period. After the time is spent, she’s good! But don’t giggle on the phone gossiping like girls with your homeboys, save it for when she’s not around, girlie gossip should be done alone. Note: Putting the phone on vibrate and constantly ignoring calls is worse than the chatter, and above all, a douche bag move.

Duh, this goes for EVERYONE including family members and best friends. You know we sometimes forget that they are people too. I personally see being in constant contact at all times as a sign on insecurity. It's almost like saying "I'm not interesting enough to carry a full conversation so I only 'do' sound bites (i.e. texts, tweets, and status updates) or it says "I don't care about anything you have to say."

2.) Be Handy – women are such the “I can do it myself” kind, but they really don’t want to. So instead of offering, “do you want me to come over and out your computer desk together?” Tell her, “Oh, so you got desk!? I’m going to come put it together for you, what time works for you?” She can’t say no, and if you finish with a “what you cooking?” You’re being a man and making an offer she can’t refuse. If she does, she’s just not feeling you, move on.

Yes! Thank You! and Amen. I expect this treatment it's like my litmus test. Cause if a guy really likes you he wouldn't want you to go through any type of strife. Putting together a desk is strife for me at least. I got a dresser from IKEA and that bitch took me hours to build and some of the pieces are still backward.

3.) Stay Informed – Fellas, it’s okay to put the joysticks down and read a book every now and again! Pay attention to what women are reading! For instance, nowadays the Steve Harvey bestseller is a conversation piece for so many – the woman you’re taking out could be applying the knowledge from the book to you, and could potentially crush you at your own man game! No bueno. Imagine if you’ve both read the same book? Now, not only are you cute and funny, you’re smart too! Best to be on the same page, literally.

I ain't read that Steve Harvey joint, cause I believe I know everything in there, but reading is sexy. In fact I like when a guy knows a lot about something I don't know, like he's an expert in the crisis in Darfur or something. I like to read too, it gives you something to talk about otherwise you'd keep having the same conversations. I also think watching the news counts.

4.) Possess Knightliness – every woman wants that knight in shining armor. Not that you have to be this every day, but at least possess the capacity to do so from time to time. For example, after your date walk her to her car, open the door, close it, kiss her cheek through the window and wait for her to pull off before you make your exit. She’ll feel safe and flattered that you thought enough of her to make sure she’s in one piece when you left her. Give her a call about an hour later to make sure she’s in a safe space and let her know you enjoyed her company and can’t wait to see her again. Be a gentleman to your fullest potential, it never fails!

Bump that not every day thing. This kind of behavior should happen on the regular, I mean daily. It's a sign on respect.

5.) Give More Than a 1 Word Reply – regardless of if its a text, email or face to face conversation, get involved! Again, it doesn’t have to be everyday or every conversation. Sometimes it takes a little more than a “yeah,” “uh-huh” or “cool” to soothe a woman’s need to be heard. Give more attention to the conversation topics that are especially important to her and be honest and compassionate. She’ll remember these times and know it’s within you to be caring.

One word answers show that you are listening and that you care period.

6.) Don’t Be a “Yes” Man – it’s okay to give your lady a good firm “no,” and disagree from time to time. Women only like a pushover for so long and she’ll eventually get bored with your compliance, if you’re the type to concede to avoid an argument. It’s healthy for you to tell her “no”occasionally. Although she may not like it, she’ll respect your manhood and fall back. Disagreeing won’t kill her, but will it piss her smooth off? Sure. But she’ll get over it and, once again, respect your manhood and you standing your ground.

This is hot. I luv a man's man. Why would I want a big kid? Plus, I wanna feel safe in his decisions and know that he can make decisions. A dude that would let little ole me walk all over him has a serious lack of confidence and that ain't sexy.

She Rocked That...Don't Let Them Clothes Wear You

So Amazing, You Tubing it

What the flip happened to the promotion on Brutha? Dem ninja's got a deal worse than Day 26. The boys can blow though. I liked their first album. "Shes Gone" is my jam and this song is aight.

I do, however, like the vid below. I think you can tell if someone can really sang and has a true passion for music by his knowledge of the classics.

This is why you don't show out, You tubing it

http://lipsticklacebrassknuckles.wordpress.com/

This is how you werk! Get it Na-Na

My fav site The Fashion Bomb Daily posted this spread of Naomi Campbell in Harper's Bazaar. I'm not sure how old the spread is, but it is fierce. Some bloggers were a little peeved that a dark skinned woman was chosen for an "in the wild" spread, but I say fierce is fierce. Na-Na's earthy skin tone and "exotic looks" go perfectly with the theme. It's almost saying, "I'm so hot, I can turn the most civil being into a beast." Go Girl!

Don't Do MJ That Way

So I'm on my blog stroll and Red Carpet Fashion Awards posted a spread in Harper's Bazaar that is supposed to be a tribute to Mike Jackson. I am not impressed. What a wack ass/ half ass attempt to praise the King of Pop for his daring fashion choices. Some bloggers were upset over the selection of a white model, but I say it doesn't matter if your black or white haute is haute and the spread ain't hawt. A little more umph, please.

She Ain't Lyin...

So Tameka Foster Raymond took to the Huffington Post with her two cents on her marital situation. It's been the talk on some gossip sites and honestly the whole darkskin vs. lightskin conversation is getting old. I do like the way she put her thoughts together and I agree with her. When she and Ush first got married I thought the it was strange and maybe he was trying to prove a point, but I never thought she was ugly. As the media shared more about her troubled past I thought his choice was even more strange, but the lady still wasn't "Man-eeka" to me.

A lot a people would argue that their dislike for Tameka was that she may have had a criminal past, her age, or her litter of kids, but all I saw and heard was. "She's a man." "She ugly." and "She ain't cute." Out of the mouth the heart speaks. If she was light I think the conversation would have been, "Everyone makes mistakes." or "No one is perfect, she cute though." I'm lying? Look at the Chris Brown situation, if that was Mario his name would be mud. Well not exactly cause blacks are too forgiving. The point is, just like it helps to be attractive in general it also helps to be light skinned in the industry.

Tameka's blog post is below.

"I am a dark-skinned African American woman with features that reflect my ancestry. Debates regarding Light vs. Dark and other biases have plagued our race for years and continues to impact millions of Black women. The deeply rooted intra-racial contempt that lies beneath this inane "compliment" is the reason I've chosen to spark dialogue surrounding the topic of self-hatred in our culture. It saturates every aspect of our lives, dominating the perspectives of our generation as a whole. We culturally are so influential, at times inadvertently, that we affect all with the words we utter and the images we portray. It lends to the theory of systemic racism. I'm authoring this piece because I'm miffed by this reality and would like to share my views on these subjects.

It is a fact that many African-Americans are often mixed with an array of other ethnicities (as am I), which allows for the spectrum of our features to be as distinctive and special as we are diverse. Why is it felt that the more diluted our traditionally African features become the more aesthetically acceptable we are considered? It was said in the 1960s and the sentiment seems to be forgotten, "Black is Beautiful." Wow, nearly 50 years later and is that now only meant for a specific shade? Nonetheless, I believe the beauty of our people and splendor of every individual is reflected in our varying features and hues.

Often dark-skinned women are considered mean, domineering and standoffish and it was these very labels that followed Michelle Obama during the campaign for her husband's presidency and which she has had to work tirelessly to combat. I was appalled when I heard a Black woman refer to Michelle Obama as unattractive. The conversation turned into why President Obama picked her as his mate. No one in the witch-hunt made reference to the possibility that Michelle Obama was smart, funny, caring, a good person, highly accomplished or brilliant. Nor did they mention that she previously was President Obama's supervisor. If she were fair skinned, petite with long straight or wavy hair, would the same opinions be linked to her? I seriously doubt it. It is believed that for the dark skinned, dreams are less obtainable.

In fact, I have read similar comments about myself that I am "dark, aggressive, bossy and bitchy." It has been stated that my husband should have been with a "younger, more beautiful" woman. Astoundingly, the majority of the remarks come from African-American women and are mimicked by others. Sadly enough, I don't know nor have I met 99% of those making these assertions. Funny, how we can judge another without having personally seen, interacted with or experienced a person's character.

As I began to delve into further research on this topic, and the more I read, I concluded that many of our people do not like what they see in the mirror. Seeing ones own reflection in another person and then to dissect it in an effort to destroy can only be the product of self-loathing. Why don't we congratulate as opposed to hate?

There is an adage "hurt people, hurt people". If this is true then we must examine the root of negative words and judgments that are passed on people. Unfortunately, we have internal stereotypes based off of skin color and facial features that stem from years of programming, dating back to the "Willie Lynch" method for creating a slave. In this infamous formula, one of the main factors in separating and creating division was placing the lighter skinned blacks in a higher position in the house, while those with darker skin were made to stay in the fields and deemed "less desirable". Much like the Caste System in India. No matter what strides we make as a people, these issues continue to plague and rot our souls, causing significant decay to a portion of our population and truly hindering our progress. Perhaps we show progress in our wallets and lifestyles but not in our mind set.

Reading magazines, social media sites, watching our music videos, and television shows feed our appetites for all things 'beauty". Rarely, however do I see depictions of grace and elegance in the form of dark complexioned women. I Googled one of the more ethnic models, Alek Wek and I was saddened by the tone of what the bloggers wrote in reference to her complexion, features and hair texture. Ms. Wek's escape from Sudan, her journey, philanthropy, and groundbreaking success as a supermodel in America is not only beautiful, but it displays her tenacity and character. African-Americans seemed to have lost their eye for character. These comments are evidence of the confusion that lies within many black people. It's the cruelty and prejudice that has spilled into the fabric of our everyday lives. It makes me wonder what have we collectively lost as a people? Our Minds.

I too have fallen prey, while on vacation in Brazil I decided to undergo tummy lipo-surgery. After having an allergic reaction to the anesthesia, I went into cardiac arrest before the procedure ever began. I nearly lost my life over something as superficial as having a flatter mid-section and trying to adapt to society's traditional definition of beauty. As I nursed my psychological wounds, I began to realize that trying to live up to the prototypes of external beauty paled in comparison to the fact that I have undergone labor, subsequently being blessed to raise five handsome, smart, healthy, intuitive, and happy children. I emerged from my ordeal realizing that my body is an amazing vessel that has given birth to life and that being healthy is what's important and nothing more.

It is my hope that our First Lady and others who share in this effort will continue to be the beacon to shine a light for those who toil on America's beauty totem pole. Now don't get me wrong or take my words out of context. I truly believe that everyone has a right to delineate what they deem is attractive, but we must not confuse perceived "attractiveness" with authentic "beauty." It is important for African Americans, especially, to realize that true beauty is a spiritual element that lies deep within an individual's spirit. It can neither be seen nor is it tangible. People tend to forget that beauty is not about looks and looks is not about beauty.

One of my favorite quotes comes from the great poet Khalil Gibran who once wrote, "Beauty is not the face; beauty is a light in the heart."

She's Got Style

I heart Lauren Conrad's style. It's trendy yet classic. The romper number in the first pic inspired me to hit up Urban Outfitters and get it in black. I can rock it with a tons of stuff I already have like my new denim biker jacket from H&M or a classic black blazer, patent flats or sexy high heeled sandals, or even a cardigan and slouch boots when it gets colder. Great buy right?



BTW, http://www.redcarpet-fashionawards.com/ has some of the best fashion photos and a balanced mix of cultures represented.

Dawn, I Can't Stand You...

So Dawn Richard is a frenemy in my head. I would so root for her if she wasn't a snake. Ok a do silently root for her. Anyways, here are some photos from one of her latest photo shoots. She is most def improving in the looks department, but so am I. Recently, some family members have congratulated me on getting over my boyish stage. The shoot looks hot though.

I Heart This Dude....

I follow Tyrese on Twitter and he has thee bestest photos. Here is one from his trip to Israel. This is the Wailing Wall. I like Black Ty not only cause he mad sexy, but I know he knows who he is. Know what I mean? He seems to keep it real. Like he know back in the day when dark skinned dudes wasn't gettin it he had to make it on his own. His power ain't in his abs, but in his head and heart and I luv that ish.

Happy Birthday Mr. President!

I wonder if....

I am digging the short hair movement and I even like the shaved head thing. I just can't get over how much weave is still used IN THE SHORT DO'S! Black women have we messed up our hair that much? Anywho I wonder if they know the have the same haircut? I would add Rihanna, but I'm sick of seeing her.

Why do I like this song?

So this is a song from Shanell from Young Money and Aubrey O'Day from Danity Kane. Shanell is also D. Woods' sister. She looks just like her, po' thang. That thing looks like a booger hanging outta her nose. She trying way too hard. Can we say busted? She gettin her money tho. She on tour with Lil'Wayne and the gang. Aubrey got her own reality show and doin music and ish. So I say, go girls! Click the title to hear the song.

Shuckin and Jivin at it's Finest

So I got this video from Bossip and it's so sad, but true. The sight of anyone in blackface hurts me to the core and the fact that hip-hop is a modern day minstrel show hurts even more. Sure the little dances are cute, but the messages and lyrics are deplorable. And Soulja Boy did not kill hip-hop. He is a product of it. He is a product of that bullshit ice rap. That shit was already dead. Soulja Boy is doing exactly what he was programmed to do. Frankly, I don't think it's fair the way the adults in the industry and outside go so hard on him.

I admit Soulja Boy does know better, but I think he doesn't know how to be man enough to do better. Watching the video I knew that this is where we're headed, complete exploitation. The worst part is that the cats that'll do it won't even know that the are doing it or the history behind it. Last year didn't Justin Timberlake refer to Paul Pierce as shuckin and jivin? He didn't mean any harm, but that shit hurt. I don't think we'll let it go that far. My take is that some people are tired of the coonery already, but I can almost guarantee that some fool will have the entire committee bowing in shame. Twista already pushing it with "Will You be My Daddy."

Dis Ninja Right Here

So the Trey Songz interview with Honey Mag was been all over the blogs. I read it and I still think he’s hot. I actually appreciated his honesty and even laughed out loud a little. True he was a little raunchy, but that’s how ninja’s is. Other bloggers are calling him gay and whack blah, blah, blah, but they know that they date dudes who do worse you know like father a litter of little bastards and beat up women. Whatever! Get off your high horses. Click the title to read the interview. Be prepared for an eyegasm the pictures are hot.

Due to all the hoopla around the interview Trey posted the quote below on his blog.

“While out on promo I’ve learned that my Honeymag.com interview is being heavily talked about. Although I’ve never read the magazine I thought the questions prepared for me were indicative of the type of magazine that Honey is. In response to my interview, I want to take this opportunity to apologize to my fans if anything I said offended anyone. I was simply being honest. The interview was done in fun and not with the intention of being shocking or offensive. For the blogs and people who take things out of context (conveniently dismissing my several references to safe sex), I do not have a STD nor do I practice unprotected sex. I look forward to using this misinterpretation as an opportunity to highlight the importance of safe sex to my fans. I’ve always practiced and promoted safe sex and even wrote a song about it (Store Run - 2007). I shared an isolated incident that happened 8 years ago when I was a teenager. Lastly, I did, as I do in every interview, answer the questions that were asked. Lighten up folks LOL BONG!”

BTW. I can’t wait for his new album. I heart “I Need a Girl.” His last album was pretty good. The fact that he is not singing about some dumb dance in auto tune or some other gimmick is already appealing. Mr. Songz has definitely grown into a sexy young man and his music has gotten better and better. So you go boy!