Elizabeth Warren, Leo Gottlieb professor at Harvard Law School asks, "Why are consumers safe when they purchase tangible consumer products with cash, but when they sign up for routine financial products like mortgages and credit cards they are left at the mercy of their creditors?"
Earth Day is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in held on April 22, 1970 and today marks the 40th Anniversary for Earth Day. If you're looking for ways to make a difference, The Nature Observatoryhas a way for you to adopt a coral reefin the Bahamas. However, if you want to get some shopping done, check out econscious market where 10% of your purchase goes to the charity of your choice. (Of course with all sustainable products).
The United States Environmental Protection Agency has a list of 5 Things you can commit to in order to help make a difference in helping the environment. The list is broken down in categories: water, air, land, waste, and advocacy.
And if your in the mood to celebrate all your yearly environmental contributions with some bubbly, VeeV can do the job. Veev is a liquor made from the Acai berry where $1.00 from each bottle gets donated to protecting the Sambazon Brazilian Rainforest's.
Although it's a little absurd and ostentatious for us to make commitments for our planet on one day...we can still all benefit from it.
Roland S. Martin talks about the banning of Islamic veils in France. Saroky says the burqa, "hurts the dignity of women and is not acceptable in French society." Click below for the full scoop: " Sarkozy to submit bill banning Islamic face veils"
Tomorrow will be my birthday; another year’s completion, another year of growth through a combination of beams and grins, sniffles, and tears. It may seem a little peculiar, but my new year’s resolutions are synonymous with the thoughts on my birthday. I think about what I was doing around this time last year and what I want to accomplish for the next.
I look back over what God has brought me through and wonder why He deemed it necessary to use me in ways that I never thought possible. I’m living by this “No one can go back and make a brand new start. Anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.”
Take each day as another milestone and adventure. Yeah we may go left instead of right…look down instead of up…but the choices we make are what separate us from the rest.
In a recent interview in PEOPLE magazine, Michelle “Bombshell” McGee says, “I’m sorry all this is public, I’m sorry for everything.” She adds, “I feel bad for Sandra and I want to give her a heartfelt apology.” Ok, that’s good and all that McGee decided to apologized, but what ticked me off was when she said, “"I feel like I was duped just as much as Sandra. I feel like I was lied to just as much as she was. If Jesse was upfront with me in the beginning, we wouldn't be in this situation." If Jesse was "upfront"? She knew Jesse was married whatever comes out of his mouth afterwards doesn't matter. I think Tina Fey said it best on SNL, “when you body looks like a dirtbag’s binder from 7th grade metal shop, it doesn’t bode well with your character.
As far as I’m concerned, Sandra has been keeping excellent composure. And she’s still America’s sweetheart. Can anyone else wait till she plays Wonder woman?! Eat your heart out Jesse James.
For all you Joyce Meyer's fans, she'll be doing a book signing this Wednesday, April 14th at 6:00PM at Borders in Rancho Cucamonga, CA (12370 South Mainstreet, 909.646.7322)
Her latest book, Eat the Cookie...buy the Shoes: Giving Yourself Permission to Lighten Up, is about reminding readers that balance is a core value in life and that it's OK to indulge every once and awhile.
The book releases on April 13th, just in enough time to get Mrs. Meyer's handcock on it.
So many people try to find validation in the opposite sex, colleagues, friends, and relatives. It's natural to want to hear affirmations, but what is most important is how YOU feel about yourself. I'd like for you to take a look in the mirror and say these 5 things:
1. For my ladies, "you are beautiful," for my fellas "you are handsome." While you may not feel like Hedi Klum or Brad Pitt, it's important that you keep gushing over yourself. Every time you pass a mirror wink at yourself. (Make sure no one is looking, of course.)
2. Tell yourself, "You are soooo smart." Studies have shown that girls begin to develop the belief that they shouldn't be smarter than boys as early as elementary school. (Sorry guys, you think you rule the world anyway, so this one is for my ladies).
3. "You're funny." Last Saturday I was standing in line to see Clash of the Titans. People started pushing a little bit so I said, "Hey no one here is a Titan so let's stop clashing." Lame? I know. But it made me laugh and that's the important thing. Sometimes the funniest jokes are the lame ones. Have a carefree attitude and laugh every once and awhile.
4. "You are worth loving." Never become complacent in any situation. Don't believe when he tells you, "no one is going to love you like me," don't believe when she tells you, "you can't do any better." You are special and unique in all of your vices and virtues. I promise you somewhere, someone will love that you droll in your sleep.
5. "You're an amazing friend." You know you're there when your buddy has a flat tire. You're there when they've had one too many drinks. You been a willing punch bag when anger strikes and a loving pillow when the tears fall. You do a good job at supporting someone, so pat yourself on the back.
Reprogram your subconscious to do the impossible by using affirmations with passion throughout the day. Be your own cheerleader and love the amazing person you are.
I stayed gripping my chair as I watched this true tale of exploitation that happens right under our noise. A&E’s new reality drama, RUNAWAY SQUAD is about NYC’s PI Joe Mazzilli and his team rounding up runaway’s. The show starts with a gripping intro: “1.6 million kids runaway each year. Thousands will be exploited or killed,” and unfortunately that is a hard number we face.
Too many young women are washed away and forgotten, only to be picked up by a pack of tyrannically cruel wolves. One instance in the episode that stuck with me was when the mother (Yenita) was fortunate to get her daughter (Jayvela) back. Yenita expressed how distraught she was at having a solitary Thanksgiving and Christmas. Tayvela shed a single tear as she said, “I remember where I was and what I was doing on Thanksgiving.”
What I find extremely gratifying is a sense of completeness after watching the episode. We have a real beginning , middle and an end—complete with interviews of how this happened and what could have been done to prevent it. What I find a little unsettling is, Tayvela needs healing from what happened. I do not know if it’s a good idea for her to actually be on camera after the situation happened so swiftly.
I had a real taste for Brazilian food today so I decided to try this Brazilian eatery called Libra in Culver City on Main street that opened a week ago. The decor was sleekly designed with white furniture, exposed ceilings, and hanging orb fixtures with an impressive buffet-style self-serve items ranging from cous cous to roasted chicken.
What I found particularly disturbing was the fact that the availability of food was minuscule as if the chef wasn't anticipating a crow during peak lunch hours. Maybe that should have been sign...maybe the confusing layout of salads should have been another sign...maybe the fact that there wasn't one beloved plantain in site should have been a sign. Nevertheless, I pressed on, only to be hit with a bill of $14.00 for a plate.
Despite Kat Odell's promising review on LA Eatery, I was let down in an extreme way. Had the food been warm, I might have loved the combined herbs and walked away with a smile. Instead, I'm still hungry and wondering why the owner was seating nearby without so much of a "hello" to the three people in the restaurant.
Let's take a look back two years ago when Jilly from Philly came onto Def Poetry Jam. (ugh HBO...bring it back!) This soliloquy of poetry from Ms. Scott, is such a strong story of a women's natural desire to "help met" a man's needs juxtaposed with her own desires. Women, just as we visited a month of romance for the month of February, it is important to not look for validation elsewhere but within yourself. Open your mind and let me know what you think about this oldie, but goodie. (Can you snap...can you...snap snap).
Sens Musiq is an inspirational Hip Hop artist where he doesn't let music change him, he vows to change music. What excites me about this up and coming dynamo is his raw energy, strength and passion that's relevant in each track. (I got the priviledge to hear snippets of a few). I'm impressed by his ability to create music where every other word isn't laced with cussing while he maintains an integral message throughout his self entitled album soon to drop late summer.
In an impromptu interview with Sens Musiq he illustrates how "other artists pretty much rep where they're from, which is foreign to a lot of us. It's like someone is introducing their, culture, or their fads. But my God is omnipresent so instead of representing my area, I represent a God that's every where and for everyone."
I hear where's he's coming from and I'm there..but what if a person consider's God to be foreign to them? I asked him how would they relate. "We vibe through my experiences. Somehow, someway, who I am connects to the people that listen to my music. If they don't know God, they know struggle, pain, and hurt. Instead of glorifying those things that caused [those experiences], I try to give a remedy to that hurt and pain."
We can expect "great music and more passion" from Sens Musiq. His upcoming projects include a mixtape that'll be out early summer as well as his album that can be purchased at sensmusiq.com.
On Monday, Japanese astronaut Naoko Yamazaki will board the Discovery as her first space flight. This launch will be known as the maiden mission as she will join three other female astronauts and act as transport master. She has said, "Any task performed by astronauts can be done irrespective of gender differences." (high five to Ms. Yamazaki)
Despite the fact that Shigeki Kamigaichi, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's space station manager, said, "Her mission, nonetheless, is sure to be highly complex" readers are more interested in knowing what beauty supplies Yamazaki will be bringing. Apparently, lipstick and pressed powders are a go, loose powder and flammables (nail polishes) are not. Sarah Howard from Interview has a tip for Yamazaki, "pack bronzer. There’s no sunbathing in outer space."
My girlfriend sent me an e-mail saying, "I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO DO THIS." I wasn't sure what she was talking about until she sent me a link to Alicia Key's website saying she had partnered with Monster.com to find her Head Blogger. So...I'm applying today. With fingers, toes, and eyes crossed (not really, but REALLY) I'll keep you updated on the news.
