Kim Kardashian. . .Hold The Cheese

I was watching a news segment on M&J this morning that was about Kim Kardashian and her retouched photos for Complex magazine. The website that once featured an untouched photo, has replaced it with a photo with lightened,smooth thighs,slimmer arm,and lightened face. On her blog she claims that she is proud of her body and embraces her curves. Why retouch what you already feel is beautiful already? Why airbrush-away a body that has made countless lists for best/hottest body?
Photoshopping is the norm for celebrities featured through-out any magazine these days.It seems as though natural,human beauty. . .flaws and all are no longer deemed acceptable. Some may argue that photo retouching gives photos a finished look.It has been in existence since the creation of photography itself. I find that retouching. . . photo manipulation assist in the deterioration of self-esteems(especially in females) across America. When we have figures,like Kim that are never shown in their human state,we perpetuate standards for beauty that are impossible to attain. Magazines need to feature more realistic images of beauty. I wonder if models and celebrities had a choice to retouch their photos or not,what would they choose. I know that looking up at that picture of Kim, I see a beautiful woman in both pictures. . .and I'm pretty sure there are many that agree. Perhaps we all need to take a step in pursuit of the mass publication of beauty in its natural state.

New Blog. . .YAAY!

I've decided to start another blog for music. . .I feel as though this blog has no really focus and everything is just all over the place. I was thinking that maybe if I find a new place to put my music stuffs this blog would seem a little less wild and random. I haven't really thought of any names for it but I'm gonna start it ASAP. All this wonderful music keeps falling upon my ears and my soul aches to share it with you,lol. On my blog I'm going to highlight,those noteworthy artist that we've heard little about. . .maybe some tour dates. . .IDK,but its gonna be grand. HAPPY TUESDAY and I'm off, I desperately need to find my camera. . .I hope it wasn't stolen

Thoughts and happenings

I had a nice weekend,which was HIGHLY necessary because my week really sucked. A broken phone,I locked my keys in my car,family issues,and on top of that meeting after meeting after meeting! I felt as though I never really had a chance to recover and reflect. My roommate's homies came down for NY to visit and we played tour guide this weekend. On Friday we went the harbor and had some delicious num nums(food) and then I went and hung out with my friend Ty.He is such a goofball. We watched Be Kind Rewind, with Mos Def and Jack Black. . .the movie was. . .ummm. . . decent?. .idk how to explain it.It wasn't bad but it wasn't good either. It was just There.
On Saturday we wanted to go to DC and wander but the weather didn't look to good. On a sidebar tip:the weather here has been sooooo bipolar and everybody is getting "the Morgan cough". . .I can't wait til it gets warm and it stays warm. We decided to stay in B-more,we walked around in the mall for abit then came back to our apartment. We played some spades,told some stories,chilled. They left this morning before I got up,but they say they will be back in the not-so-distant future. Now on to my thoughts. I'm sick of being told I'm wifey material!! I'm mean I don't know whether to be flattered because guys thing I'm the type to settle down with or angry because it seems as though nobody's is looking for that right now. I'm happy not to be seen as the "beat-skeet-delete" girl,but my "wifey" nature tends to scare guys . I'm not trying to force a relationship on anyone or change them.Although I do appreciated the bs'er and losers for weeding themselves out early. I am only being myself! I'm not looking for anything serious but something worth investing time it.(I think that makes sense. . well it makes sense to me) But this ish is driving me NUTS. BAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! Oh there is a book that I'm thinking about reading called " Act like a Lady,Think like a Man " by Steve Harvey perhaps it will help make more sense of things, but until then toodles!

my new addiction. . .the onion. . .

FDA Approves Depressant Drug For The Annoyingly Cheerful



Bratz Dolls May Give Young Girls Unrealistic Expectations Of Head Size

Quick note before class. . .while its still fresh on my mind

So monday nite my friend came over and was randomly downloading stuff on to my computer. I was kinda annoyed by that cuz I dont just want old crap music on my playlist. I pride myself on having brilliant ear for music and all its splendor. So I went to delet his new addition and fell in ear love with this artist called Hope. A couple of her songs were feature in the Tyler Perry film ' Why did I get Married'. The song that I really like is called "Who am I to say". Her voice is very simple and natural. Thats why she's so great. Well off to class. . .I'll post the video at the bottom and I'll add more about her later.

In the end we are still so lonley. . .

As the popularity of social networks continues to grow,Americans are growing more and more lonely.One can have 70 kabillion friends on facebook and still be one of the loneliest people in the world. In a General Social Survey conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago,it is reported that people feel as though they have fewer close friends in 2004 then 1985.
Faux friendships are easily made at the click of a button,'Accept', but neither neither individual really does anything to create a legitimate relationship. The definition of friend has become blurred over time,according to dictionary.com the first definition of friend is a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard. A single click of the mouse does not create an automatically create an emotional bond that we need,as humans,to survive. People create these one-click friendships and they end up with all these people in their "Internet lives" but no one to share real life experiences with. Yeah the one-click friend could be quick and take no time out of our oh so busy lives but in turn we are starving ourselves from a basic need for survival, Socializing. As we continue to derive ways to undermine physical interaction,we fail to realize that these behaviors are detrimental to our health. In an article I read on IBN.com,entitled friends on Loneliness is equal to smoking,kills slowly, loneliness has been equated to obesity and smoking,in severity .
A study conducted by researchers at University of Chicago showed that people,who are lonely, were three times more likely to develop strokes and heart disease. Although it hasn't been loneliness and blood pressure have not been directly connected it has been proven that loneliness leads to stress and depression,which has a negative impact on one's wellbeing.
In a time when we probably need human interaction most,Americans are growing more and more independent from the emotional connections we need to be physically and mentally fit. Cyber space should not be the grounds for creating and maintianing any healthy relationship. People need to revert back to the traditional ways of building relationships. Organizations,Church,hell even the Super market are all places in which a friendship can be planted. People need disregard the "friends made simple" ways of the internet and seek real friends in a real world. It's not so difficult to say "hello" and who knows where that could take you. We should want something more than an one-click friend,our bodies and our sanity depend on it.

writing practice. . .

After Monday's inevitable snow day, bundled Morgan State University students emerge from their warm sanctuaries to make frosty treks to am classes. With temperature's being around 14 degrees, seemed to deter the usual early morning mass from class . In Morgan View apartments,the many walk ways remain covered with snow and ice. The dirty snow crunched under the boots that ventured down the unshoveled sidewalk. A female ill-dressed for the weather,slid across an ice patch and muttered profanities to herself. Her brown gloves were her only protection from the bitter sting of winter breezes. A male,was barely visible through the low hood of his black northface jacket,and its high collar. The Communication building's classes were specked with students layered in leather coats,pea coats,thermals,and snow hats.

This Niia Chick gives me chills. . .

Niia Bertino is a young lady that was featured,in 2007 on the song "sweetest girl" with Wyclef Jean and Lil Wayne. When I first heard her voice I immediately thought When the album gonna drop!!! her voice is sooo deep(not in tone)I found it especially moving when she sang Bang Bang. I haven't seen her on television at all,but apparently she appeared on a four part series MTV special called Americlef which also aired in 2007. This special was centered around Wyclef : (. So its been TWO years and this chick Niia has yet to make her highly necessary break in to this diluted music scene. She did some touring here and there but I'm still waiting on "the Splash". We need something new and fresh. . .and i truly believe that she could do some wonderful things. I'm gonna continue to keep an eye out for her and after checking out the video,perhaps you will too. . .COME ON ms.Niia,America's(well at least I am,lol) waiting!!



you can also check out her myspace page. . . http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=124800215

hip-hop going green too. . .

The radio and I have love hate relationship, since I've discovered the wonderful world of downloads and beauty of up and coming artists. I listen to it from time to time, but I prefer my less circulated Adele and Common.I digress. . . Well anyways, I turn on the radio to hear rap recycling lines from other rap verses and turning them into choruses. . .How wack is that? come on now have we really run outta things to say,that we must resort to just boosting lines,corny lines at that,and using them in other songs to create a hit!?!? For example that song by Lil Wayne, Lollipop, don't get me wrong. Lollipop from the Cater III was a big success for Lil Wayne in 2008 .It spent 5 consecutive weeks at # 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles and also won a Grammy for best rap song at the 2009 Grammy awards. The song itself had no depth or purpose aside from the fact that it was club banger about a female's infatuation with taste that she experience while performing "mouth hugs" on a male(Lil Wayne). . .Okay so there is a part of the song that goes like this. . ."Shawty say the n*gga that she with ain't sh*t". . .then along comes David Banner,who decides "wow that is a wonderful line I'm gonna use it as my chorus". . .please Try again. . .think long and hard. . .and Try Again. According to my research Banner's "Shawty say" didn't achieve the same success. . .yes it did make an appearance on Billboard's top. . but in the addendum to the Hot 100 singles list. This means it did not even make in in the top 100 and NO Grammy. So did borrowing the lines give him a leg up in the rap game?? All Sources point to NO. I'm sure we can all name some songs in which a rapper has taking a line from another song and created a chorus. This occurrence seems to be a trend in the hip hop realm. Perhaps it saves time, but it also shows that we are a generation of limited thinkers. It seems like most rap songs are all the same. . .encompassing the same basic themes,sex,drugs and/or alcohol,hustling/the struggle, and the success of the song is based on the artist's creative in delivering this message. Recycling lyrics to convey a typical message in a rap song does not make the artist. I'm challenging all you rappers(music makers in general) "on the bubble" to explore the english language with depth to express your message,wrap your mind around an uncommon theme and make them listen! Your goal is to be ahead of the game,not pick up lyric left-overs. Rap was once based on the principals of individuality and innovation,I think its time we took it back to the basics :)

The Talented, not so talented

Over the past week, the media has continued to perpetuate reports of Chris Brown and Robyn "Rihanna" Fenty alleged physical altercation that occurred Sunday,hours before the Grammy's were to air. For the past year Rihanna and Chris Brown have been rumored to be in an exclusive relationship. They were the so called epitome of young black love. We have watch them grow in to the young music moguls that we see today. But are they really as successful as we claim them to be? perhaps not. Black love is one of the worst states that the African American society has ever seen. We are sacrificing the time and nurture necessary to create adult individuals to love themselves as wells as their counterparts. All this is at stake because of money and the "progression" it provides. As we continue to preach that money is the answer. . .the black community continues to lose to components necessary for the strong Man or Woman to lead in example. Since post-slavery the black family has been broken-up and/or modified in hopes of achieving a financial gain that could benefit themselves as well as their families.Mothers would work three jobs to support her children,Fathers travel far from their homes to find jobs to enable stability for their wives and children. Boys are taught from early to be providers by any means necessary,to learn what he can and use that skill to get money. Because families are money driven,mothers and fathers are not teaching their children to value intelligence,knowledge of the world around them,its presence,and its past,and sympathy(DuBoisan idea). The components that I feel are necessary for creating a intellectually inclined,responsible,adult who is capable of making sound decisions apart for the influence of financial gain are lacking in our generation. . .its is especially relevant in music. Its all about getting this money. People are failing to realize that just because you have money doesn't make you a Man. You can not buy the rights to be called a man. . .yes being able to provide for your family is important but if you are acting in accordance with the dollar,the dollar is raising the family,not you. One can never equate money to sucess If the price is right,we are able to see black women compromise the morality that blacks held for themselves. We idolize those with the dollars and not those who exemplify truly the meaning of the Talented Tenth. As African Americans we should encourage our children to want more out of living than financial gain and teach them that in order to be truly successful among the upper echelons in society they must posses the ability to act freely. We also must be able to support each other in positive endeavors,meaning promote ourselves in situations that will up lift our society regardless of the material gain. We also must not allow ourselves to chase money and miss out of the independance and knowledge that the world around us contains because in fact this is all where your true success lies. Its all in our hands really,its just a matter of what we are willing to do with it.

Is bigger really better?? Nope Nope Definately not!!

As I click through the current.com website I stumbled across a story about how a model set the world record for biggest breasts. with her 38 triple k breast. I mean seriously what could you do with breasts that big anyway?(besides have them) According to an article Record Breaking Breasts, model/actress, Sheyla Hershey traveled to Houston Texas to have a gallon. . . a gallon of silicone pumped into her chest. After a 8 surgeries,Hershey's breasts stood at a whopping 34 triple F. .and the sad part about it was, she was not satisfied. Are the pressures of being beautiful driving women to go to unnecessary and bizarre extremes? in this situation. . . Hell yeah! So Hershey decided to take it a step further. Because Texas has a state limit on how much silicone can be used in a breast implant,she traveled to the land of unregulated breast implants and took her "ity bities" to 38 triple KKK. She must not know bigger is not better. . .is She dense? Has to be! She must find back pain to be a wonderful thing. according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeon,106,179 breast-reduction surgeries were performed in 2007 alone. This number also represents a 25 percent increase in the procedure since 2000. Many women make the decision to reduce their breasts because of the sheer gravity,and the weight that breasts have on their bodies. Sleeping on her back or stomach would also be a major issue for this woman. She can't sleep on her stomach because of her own weight against her breast and she can not sleep on her back because the weight of her breast would make it difficult to breath. Poor lungs!! Yeah I know people may argue who cares,what she does about her breasts. . .well obviously Texas and other states in the U.S that have regulations for the amount of silicone injected in to implants. Oh and another thing. . .the male comments posted in response to the article,were a general consensus. . .That ISH is not attractive. Smiley mango says " WTF?!?!?!!! Just a little extreme.....this is definitely not attractive". And to top things off she's an actress and model?? How could someone take her seriously with flesh boulders hanging from her chest? According to the article when Big Breast are a Big Pain, which I found on ABCnews.com, 29 year old Kelly found her 34DD's to be embarrassing and painful, and her breasts weren't even as large as Ole's Hershey's Silicone Monsters.(lol) It's kind of saddening how an individual's quest for fame can result in purposeful body mutilation and an unintentional invitation for scorn and redicule.Anyways to sum it up ladies and gents I ask that you please please please please. . .reconsider the extremes that you will undergo to achieve your idea physical perfect. Consider the health risks,the societal risks,and the psychological risks. Is at all really worth it?

I just had to share cuz I thought it was funny

In The Know: Are Reality Shows Setting Unrealistic Standards For Skanks?htm

Almost but definately not quite. . .

"Going Green",or planet conservation seems a hot item on the U.S agenda,but are we really doing all that we can to elevate pollution globally and healthier lives internationally? Almost. . . but not quite. During the late 1980's the United Nation held the Basel Convention in hopes of regulating the movements of toxic waste through-out the world. Although the United States signed the convention,we have yet to enact laws to follow through. U.S is the top producer of E-Waste,or electronic waste in the world and we are also the top exporter as well.So when our electronics become obsolete or are no long wanted they end up being exported to E-waste towns in Nigeria,India,or China. Once they are ship to those countries they are picked apart for the reusable metals. That cell phone ,that you thought was the "ish" 3 months ago, is probably now in a small Chinese village being picked apart by a family in a toxic village for a meager$12 dollars a day. Watching toxic villages on www.Current.com, ignited some thought. . .I'm angered that peoples healths are being exploited. . .just to disassemble some overpriced electronics?And although it is said that they are recycling the metals, where does it really go? Many people in these village focus their lives around this so-called business,while at risk for lead,Mercury,or Cadmium poisoning. The village shown in the vlog showed people that were unaware(or didn't care. . .to each his own opinion) the dangers that they endure themselves and destruction to the environment. The metals that they couldn't abstract. . .they burned causing the air to be thick,dark and poisonous. I was also confused about how two of most advancing countries(China and United States for that matter) in the world have not find a more eco-friendly way to dispose of the e-waste. The disassembling of the electronics only contributes to existing pollution that plagues china today. The pollution has caused a dramatic rise in birth defects,spontaneous abortions and,still births! I mean if it can be prevented. . .why not?? According to an article I read on huffingtonpost.com, a baby is born with a physical defect every 30 second. It also says that officials have been forced to began a "High-level prevention plan" because the birth defect rate is so high. . .Why did it even have to reach that point?? With all of the brilliant minds floating around China,why?seriously. . .why? Do they not care that people are suffering with clef lips,conjoined babies,and infant deaths. . .not to mention children with lower-IQ's and learning disabilities. . .it hurts to see people suffer this way. I'm through!

To air or not to air. . .

When is it okay to air or write potentially sensitive information?

As a journalist,one should always use discretion when coming forth with potentially sensitive information. The impact that releasing the information would have on the people involved should be taken in to consideration. I believe that if the information is critical to resolving a situation that it should be released.For example if a crime were committed and a description of the suspect was attained it should be released. Another reason why potentially sensitive information is okay to release is if it could prevent events of negative impacts from occurring or reoccurring.

snow sucks!!

so yesterday we had one of those rare given snow days because of tha road conditions blah blah blah. . .it was nice to get to sleep in because I still haven't gotten used to the 8oclock classes thing yet. I spent half of tha day lying around in bed thinking about food and how I didn't have anything good to eat in tha fridge. I also debated on whether or not i should make that danger trek to the grocery store. I opted to stay in. Cold weather and I do not agree(Cali baby in tha house,lol). So I get outta bed hop in tha shower and spend countless amounts of hours with my online guilty pleasure,neopets. . .its embarrasing yes that is why I will not go in to further detail.lol just know that it is a great way I beat my boredom. . . Around 3 we had a house guest. . .Ndidamaka!!!. . .she transfered her from a school in New York for the fall semester. . .and now she's off to St. Johns(she's transfering again) she had come back to withdraw. She wasn't really my guest she was my roommates guest. . . . but it was nice to bask in the visiting goodness. . .We visited ate and so on and so forth. . .then it was off to my bun's room to see what he was up to. It wasn't too much of anything interesting but I did watch like 4 movies while I was over there. One of tha movies that I really enjoyed was Boy in the stripped Pyjamas. The child actor in this movie played this role as if it were actually him. The movie made me realized the brilliance and unalter innoncence that children posses for life and the people in it I suggest everybody watch it. . but yeah I'm done. . .wait not yet,lol I've been peeping at other peoples blogs chuck ful of other stuff perhaps I figure out how to add music and stuff.(I won't be deleting this one like the others. . this one will be a happier one I promise. . .)HAPPY THURSDAY !!