Jamaica: Land We Love?

So, my country is in distress. All, seemingly - over one man. Known as "Dudus," he is a major kingpin in the Carib drug trade, and of course in his home land of Jamaica. Currently, the US is in pursuit of this man - in order to find out information about the Jamaican drug trade and its participants. In the meanwhile, as he evades arrest and is probably out of the country - dozens of people have been killed in the onslaught of violence taking place. 

Mind you, chances are we will never see this covered on CNN. While the US sends army helicopters and military units to the small island to track down this man. I guess we're just not relevant enough for media coverage in America. Or, maybe it's to spare the fear that is to take place when tourists realize the true danger of the island. I've seen articles in the newspapers, but I fear that there is nothing that can be done to rescue this country in peril. 

We watch fearfully as innocents are gunned down, police stations are shot up, burned up - officers and soldiers killed. All to protect a man that feeds drugs into your society. Consider him the Escobar of Jamaica. He feeds so many, does so much for the community - the poor can't help but to shelter and shield him from the authorities. Not realizing that he is partially to blame for the downfall and plight of their country. He is the reason for their poverty and strife. Gunmen scare tourists away, rob our women, kill our men and children. He backs that. Give him up.

I await updates from my family. My uncle is stranded here, as he cannot go home just yet. I fear for their safety, especially since most of them don't live in the safest places. As if Mountain View wasn't bad enough.

Pray for Kingston, my friends. Pray for Jamaica. 

Hair Wars: African-American VS Dominican Stylists - Which Do You Choose?

Growing up as a Carib child - I have endured many different kinds of hair practices and stylists. I went natural for most of my life, got a perm at 9 - went natural in High School, got a perm in college - went natural again... Finding someone you can trust to grow and maintain your hair is sometimes a crazy process - and with "limited" places to get hair done, we are left with few choices. Have you  ever tried getting your natural hair done at Hair Cuttery? Don't. I've been blessed with the best of both worlds: My Jamaican aunt is a beautician, as well as my Dominican aunt. Which one to choose is the question. Each form of styling can benefit and harm the hair in a few ways, I found out through trial and error. Eventually, though - I see both sides of the spectrum collaborating and uniting towards better hair for all of us ethnic women. Because in essence, it's all the same salon. Shop talk in Spanish is just as crazy as shop talk in English or Patois. Once we break the barriers of language and culture - it's Nice and Easy from there on out... Enjoy this article - while I figure out what to do next with my hair. 

((Via Bossip.com))

Armed with a blow dryer and brush, deft wrist action and shrewd promotional tactics, immigrants from the Dominican Republic are snipping away market share from African-American stylists whose mastery of black women’s hair ensured for generations that their customers wouldn’t, or couldn’t, leave them. Promises of seemingly healthier hair, swifter service and far lower prices are wooing away a growing number of black women.

The defections have infuriated African-American stylists who insist that their methods are safe and that they are more highly trained than the Dominicans are. “It’s hard enough in these times, but they are undercutting our prices, even passing out fliers to our own clients,” complains Atlanta hairdresser Jannifer Jackson, whose cancellations and no-shows began piling up once a Dominican salon opened about a mile away last summer.

Many traditional black stylists accuse Dominicans of misrepresenting their services as “natural” because nearly all Dominican salons perform relaxer touch-ups. Traditionalists say the “Dominican blowout” technique can cause severe hair breakage. Both sorts of stylists wash, set hair in rollers and seat customers under big dryers.

African-American stylists typically use a curling iron to unfurl the hair, while Dominicans use a two-handed method of unraveling the strands with a round brush, followed by a blow dryer in the other hand to smooth the curl to a straight finish. Dominicans do so by pulling from the hair root, often forcefully. That, along with applying the second round of intense heat, leads to breakage, say black stylists and some customers.

Dominican stylists deny the accusations. The majority of Dominicans are themselves black, and like African-Americans, they developed their skills by styling their own hair. “We have stylists—black stylists—all the time calling and asking to come and train with us,” boasts Alfredo Rhoden, co-owner of Dominican Hair Salon by Massiel in suburban Atlanta.

The financial impact of the Dominican incursion on black American salons is hard to gauge. Sales volume isn’t tracked by the race or ethnicity of salon owners. But industry experts, salon owners and stylists say the impact is indisputable. A fixture in New York City since the 1980s, Dominicans now are rapidly expanding to other U.S. cities.

New Jersey stylist and barber Gina Brydie formed the National Black Cosmetology Association last year to help salon owners strengthen their businesses against the recession and the increasing Dominican competition.

“We have Asians coming in with the beauty supplies and Dominicans coming in and taking over our industry,” says Ms. Brydie, 39 years old and 20 years in the business. Salons and barber shops are a proud touchstone for blacks in part because they were among the earliest black-owned businesses, providing one of few paths to economic advancement after slavery. By the early 1900s, black entrepreneur Madame C.J. Walker had become a self-made millionaire by making hair and beauty products for blacks.

Now, rather than trying to beat the Dominicans, some African-American business owners are joining them. Jennifer Drew started RoundBrushHair.com in 2007 to help Dominican salons market to blacks after she switched to the blowout and saw curiosity budding among black women.

The RoundBrushHair.com database has grown to include several hundred Dominican salons, from Sun Valley, Calif., to Chicago to Boston. Almost all opened in the past five years, Ms. Drew says. It includes 80 salons in metropolitan Washington, 95 in Georgia, 15 in Charlotte, N.C., and seven in Houston.

Full Article - via WSJ.com

Example of a Dominican Blow Out ((Via fotki.com)):

Example of Roller Set Hair ((via hairmilk.com)):

Elderly Women Use Combat Techniques To Stop Rapes In Kenya

In this day and age, it's saddening to see that women all over the world still suffer from injustices, but elderly women at that? Ignorance, lack of education and poverty propels the most far fetched beliefs and myths anyone can imagine. A shame, and the authorities see it as a "crime of pleasure?" Education is key - and I applaud these women for taking a stand - no matter the age. 

((via HipHopWired.com))

Elderly women in Korogocho, Kenya  are taking precautions to protect themselves after an outbreak of senior rapes have occurred in the down-trodden area of the community.

The Gender Recovery Center at the Nairobi Women's Hospital treated 2,357 victims of rape last year. Of the 1,118 adults who were victims of the crime, 223 women over the age of 60.

To combat the violence, an elderly Kenyan woman has decided to teach her peers techniques, to demonstrate how to combat a spate of rape attacks targeting elderly women in the slums.

A two-finger poke to the eyes, a punch to the solar plexus, a kick to the groin, then turn and run, the instructor commands.

“When we hit the pad with an open palm we are training to target the nose, the solar plexus or the groin to hurt an attacker so that it can give you a chance to escape. Shouting ‘no' repetitively is meant to draw the attention of people so that they can assist you,” Wangui states, who has been training for almost two years.

Ten elderly women have been raped and killed in the last two years in Korogocho and one hospital in Nairobi reports treating more than 437 rape victims older than 60 last year.  Many other rapes are believed to have taken place but not reported.

“One of the causes of elderly rape is a belief by criminals that intercourse with elderly women can cure them of AIDS. Others think that raping an elderly woman will cleanse their sins after committing crimes, Kariuki said. “Although there are a slew of victims, no suspects have been arrested.

Dr. Jake Sinclair, a founding member of Ujamaa, a non-governmental organization that helps rape victims and holds the self-defense classes, said many class members are grandmothers motivated by the fact that they are raising their children's children.

“If they lose that they have nothing,” Sinclair said. “In most cases the mothers and the fathers have died of HIV and if the grandmother cannot support them or protect them, the kids will end up on the streets or the Kenya youth authority, which is like prison. If they end up on the streets it is prostitution or thuggery.”

Elizabeth Olwenya is a grandmother to four children under the age of 5 who were orphaned after two of Olwenya's daughters died of AIDS. The 55-year-old Olwenya was one of the first to take the self-defense classes three years ago, and said the skills she learned help protect her grandchildren.

“The life here is not good,” Olwenya states.   “People here can rape you and even your child.”

Some believe that it is authorities' lack of concern that contributes to this type of behavior.

“Many of the reporting desks at police stations are manned by men who see rape as a crime of pleasure rather than seeing it as a crime that violates women's dignity,” Haki Focus official Harun Ndubi said.

80-year-old Julia Karinge, said she has been raped twice and feels that no matter the measures, the vicious attacks will continue.

“I did not resist either time because I did not want to die. They killed a friend of mine and dumped her body outside my house,” said Karinge, who is not taking the defense classes.

No arrests were made, though she reported the crime to police and could identify her attacker.

{{Random:}} Hate It Or Love It? The Dream "Covers" Aaliyah...

So, The Dream decided to "cover" Aaliyah's "One In A Million." I have a funny feeling he was just in the studio and decided to try it out, the audio probably got "leaked" afterwards. I'm not sure where else he could possibly go with this one... 

Dream Does Aaliyah - "One In A Million"


It didn't sound bad - but it basically was just him singing like her, with a few alterations. I'm definitely gonna guess that this was just for fun. Very random thing I came across today. 


((via bossip.com))

The Letter...

 ((Not the actual letter. duh.))
So, I wrote Him a letter the other night. It was late, I was restless, and I had an unfinished poem open on the bed. I just said what I felt. Wrote about our past and how it shaped my life. I have no idea why I did it. I guess I just feel like I needed to get things out in the air. I mean, he was like a dirty word for years - I couldn't even think his name or I'd get evil looks from L. I had a brilliant plan about how I was gonna give it to Him before I headed back to Florida, but I couldn't balls up enough to bring it with me. I wonder if some things should be left unsaid. I just feel like at this stage in the game, I can't afford to leave things up to fate too much. At the same time, I don't want to press issues and seem too eager. I'm kind of certain things are getting serious, but - ugh! I have never been so unsure of myself! And it's not because I think highly of me or anything - it's because I've never wanted someone this bad in my life. I have wanted to be with this man since my sophomore year in High School. I was willing to put my actual relationship on the line back then for him - and now I'm putting everything out there. And I don't mind it. I just want reassurance that it's worth it. It's crazy, because I feel like I get a lot from him - but he's just - gorgeous, and I worry that this may not be enough for him. 1500 miles away is a whole helluva lot, and from past experience - long distance took a gang of work. I hope he doesn't think I'm trying to force him into anything, but I kinda hope he wants this to last. Ugh - my pride wins this time. The letter's still tucked in my notebook. I have this funny feeling I won't need it, though. I'm almost certain he knows how I feel. Let's just hope that it's mutual.

Hello Summer Body; Nature’s Best Kept Secret…

January 06

So, I’ve battled a fluctuating weight for the past few years. All my situations changed when I moved to Florida. In NY, I was constantly on the move. Even though we had cars to drive, everything was so nearby and convenient - we’d walk everywhere. I played soccer, so I was always working out after school and on the weekends. At my peak, I was 125, flat stomach - firm booty, toned everything. Fast forward to Florida, where there’s no such thing as a “corner store,” and most shops are driving distance away. I got a car after my first year here, and my weight skyrocketed. Over the course of four years, I gained about forty pounds. I still worked out, so everything was firm - but jeeze it’s hard to find clothes in your closet when nothing fits.

October 2007 & April 2008:

I spent the years trying different things. At one point, I even had a personal trainer - but as fine as he was, he cost too much money! I had to find alternatives that were less expensive and more effective. Finally, I asked one of my co-workers in our supplement department what he’d recommend, and he put me on to Acetyl L-Carnitine. According to him, it would metabolize my fat and along with Chromium Picolinate, would boost my energy during workouts. I tried it for a month so the effects had time, and sure enough - I began to slim down. First month out, I lost an inch in my butt and waist, although my boobs decided to stick around. Two months later, and I’ve lost six pounds - but the fat in my problem area (my stomach) has whittled down significantly. 


I didn’t take the Carnitine to lose weight, I wanted it to shave down my stomach - and it did. Now, I pass it on to my mother to aid her in her weight loss goals. Why not enlighten everyone else, as well?


Let me give you some info on the mineral. 


    Carnitine is a major player in energy production in the body, and it’s used to propel all functions in the body that require high energy. We can find carnitine in foods that we eat daily, like meats, veggies and grains. 


{{Tangent:}} It’s found more in red meats and less in white, which is why dark turkey meat is a great addition to any diet for fat burning. One of my favorite customers is a body builder AND owns a gym, he buys nothing but turkey meat every other day. He recommends turkey burgers from dark meat turkey to help before or after a workout. 
Vegetarians benefit from Carnitine supplements, because vegetables have significantly lower levels of it naturally. For example, beef has about 145mg for every 100grams, while mushroom has only 2.6mg for every 100g. 


Of course, it has possible side effects - none of which I have experienced in my use of the supplement. These include:


- Increase in blood pressure
- Faster heartbeats
- Fever
- Diarrhea (when taken in large amounts)


The benefits seem to outweigh the possible negatives, though:


- Produces energy
- Aide in weight loss and fat burn
- Transport of long0chain fatty acids (metabolizes fat to energy)
- Enhances cellular energy in the brain
- Improved mental performance
- Helps slow the effects of aging
- Prevention of cataracts




As far as dosages go, about two grams should be taken, and Carnitine usually comes in 250mg and 500mg tablets. I recommend talking with a nutritionist/certified specialist before taking the supplements, as there may be reasons why you should not take them, or there may be an alternative supplement that you should be taking.


I feel like these are one of the things that aren’t getting as much recognition as it should. People rush to the QuickTrims and the other fat-burning pills, but forget all the side effects they can and will have on your body. I’m in favor of natural alternatives whenever possible. If you’re just looking to lose a few pounds. Dr. Oz had a segment on his show about fat burners, and Carnitine was one of them, also found in grapefruit juice. I accidentally figured this out when I moved here, I was eating junk food daily at my job, but walking everywhere - and the grapefruit juice kept my belly fat down to a minimum. 


So, give it a try! If you can’t get a hold of the supplement itself, add some of the meat, fruit and veggies to your shopping list. It’s an easy jumping point for a successful diet plan, coupled with 30minutes exercise every other day - you’ll be down to your dream body in no time. What better day to start than this one? 

Drake - "Find Your Love"

I'm just so happy with the direction Kanye takes his video production. He never seems to go the conventional route. Jamaica? Gun men? Mavado? I think island-American kids will appreciate this video, simply because we've watched both Drake and Mavado grow over the years. I'm so proud of Mavado for breaking through to the mainstream and maintaining the street as well. He's bound to be a household name real soon. 

The imagery in the video is beautiful. Panning out to the aerial view of Jamaica reminds me of flying into Norman Manley on a hot summer day, stopping on the roadside for coconut water. As beautiful as Jamaica is, it's crazy to see what the slums and gully side truly look like. Listen carefully, and you'll understand the old Yardie and Drake's convo. 

The storyline - totally possible, and there's so many dimensions to it. Imagine being a famous rapper and falling for a gully chick from another country. What can you do to stop yourself from wanting her? Doesn't matter how much money you have or how busy you are - if you catch feelings for someone, you're caught until further notice. Imagine having a moment of passion with a famous foreigner, but knowing your crazy boyfriend will kill you! I'd love to see if there's a continuation to this, and which song will it be. Kanye truly went to work here, and Drake's acting skills don't hurt, either.

Anyway - I give you Drake, "Find Your Love." Enjoy. Peep the cameos, as well...

{{Nail Star Lifestyle}} Might Don't Make It...

Soo, over the past year or so - I've been trying to step my girly game up. I'm an avid tomboy/piston head, and there's nothing I enjoy more than getting my hands dirty and getting to work. ((Still a germophobe - don't judge me)). As a part of this effort - I've been doing my nails on a regular. I have an overlay of acrylic on my natural nails - and I get my fill-ins every two weeks or so.

One thing that I truly love about getting my nails done is the ability to express one's self through nail art. Allowing the nail artist to freestyle and improvise on your nails opens a level of individuality that is fun, creative and definitely unique. There's so many directions to take your nails. Long, medium, short - 3-D, Minx, Suede... 

Minx Nails on Solange Knowles... 

Suede Nails by O.P.I.

3-D Acrylic Art...

I type entirely too much for any of these methods - but paint designs are by far my favorite. They're practical and durable. I don't have to worry about losing rhinestones or chipping pieces of my art. If it messes up, we can wipe it off and start again. Although I'm considering  treating myself to a bit of 3-D for my birthday. I've got to consult Astro Wifey for some tips - she is a genius.

I've had some awesome designs - and I've had some wack designs. Most of that is based on the artist and what they're willing to do for you. Some of them half-ass it because they know you'll pay for it regardless. Roynika is my new nail chick down in Florida ((Omega Nails on Sunrise in Lauderhill)) and she goes in. When I'm in NY I go to Grace on Fourth Avenue, or Sal on Gramatan. They do tough work. I'm going to chronicle the ones I especially like from now on, so I can share them with you guys. Sometimes it's hard to pick a design that you actually like, and we end up getting something we're less than pleased with. It's always good to have a jumpoff point. 

Summer's Almost Here! {{Jazzie's Bday Recap}} Part Deux...

So, we woke a hungover Jaz up to Flowers - the one thing she requested for her born day. I also got her some makeup from Sephora later on... 

Disregard my booty in the background - Jaz looked beautiful with the tie-dye.

Night Two:

Still a little done from the night before...

"The Virgin Islander," "The Coolie," and "The Indian" - Troublesome Three

Wham, bam?

People started fighting and spoiled the evening - but we had a chill time Downtown...

But anyway - I love this woman!! I'm blessed to have her in my world, and I wish for many more birthdays for her. You'r the best, Jaz!

Summer's Almost Here! {{Jazzie's B'Day Recap}}

As you know, I'm currently NY thuggin' for the weekend, and so far it's been quite eventful. I got stranded with the kids yesterday, but that comes with being a sibling. Especially the big sister. I love them, though - no matter how they drive me mad. I enjoyed our time together yesterday, it makes me happy to be able to watch them grow so well. Had a date last night with Him - and that made the rest of the day irrelevant. Yeah, he's like that.

Anywhoo - I've got to recap my "summer break" thus far - the weather in NY has been wonderful! I've been able to wear Bermuda shorts and sandals this weekend - I guess this is a precursor to what NY summer's actually going to look like. If it is - I foresee a zoooo!! 

We celebrated Jaz's bday last weekend - and we were out in rare form. Legs were out, and the booties were inevitable. I appreciate the fact that we can go out and party as ladies, and still come home as ladies. Too many times have I watched girls walk in looking classy, and walk out with their assy - showing.

I get the legs from my momma...

We spent the weekend dancing - my favorite form of stress relief. Well, second favorite. Had a couple drinks and a good time. Definitely lots of laughs. I remember the days when Jaz had never even had a drink - now she's the heavyweight of the crew. I'm just glad she enjoyed herself...

Night One:

"She don't gossip - she just buy sh*t. All the new gear Rihanna rocks on Bossip..."

If I could speak on the adventure of Jaz's dress, lol - let's just say the tailor had his work cut out for him. Pun intended. Fit like a Martian glove.

Gone.com by the end of the night...

Stay tuned for Part Deux...