shoutout to april.

Check out an article about the 9/11 attacks published by myself and my fellow classmate, Audra Pettus.


http://media.www.blackcollegeview.com/media/storage/paper928/news/2008/09/07/News/911-A.Flashback.To.Reality-3425085.shtml




-updates coming soon!

a little bit of kanye..

source: Kanye West - Champion

accidental fab: 101

i purchased a few bohemian inspired skirts with clinched waistbands this summer. i usually pair them with wedges, tucked in fitted ribbed tanks pulled right under the bossom, and simple accessories- but the other day i wanted to try something new. i turned my boho skirt into a flowing tunic. the skirt originally reached the middle of the my thighs so once it was worn as a shirt it stopped right at my waist, perfect. because of the way women are shaped the front of the shirt will be a tad shorter then the back (or vice versa). so, in order to prevent the pregnant, drape look i grabbed a two safety pins and a handful of the fabric. while standing in the mirror, i pinned the skirt from the inside to create a tailored, but flowy top. by pinning the fabric directly under the bra line an illusion of a fitted waist is created. also, the extra fabric automatically turns into somewhat of a train, ending right at the jean pockets. now the top is even -from the front to back- with the exception of the cute, ruffled trail. you can either wear a tank top, colorful bra straps, or leave it as a tube top (a whole tshirt doesnt always work) and since the top is roomy stick to skinny jeans. i tested the look with my mother and sister, they thought it was originally a top. masterpiece created.
love it



last night, while washing clothes, i thought to toss my mother's lab coat in the mix (being the sweet daughter i am). but i forgot to check the pockets, usually she has a few pens floating around. you shoud have seen my eyes when i saw a big, black inkblot. tearing through the remainder of the clothes and mom's beloved jacket, i couldnt find any other spots except the many that were on one of my shirts. first i was upset and quite irritable. then i remembered i had been looking for a tie-dyed top. this one was perfect. a yellow long tank with spaced out, randomly sized, swirly ink spots -with the right pair of jeans and earrings, this outfit is a go. i dont recommend you go throwing an ink pen into your dryer and crossing your fingers that you get a new top, but when you think your favorite piece is ruined..




just call it accidental fab.

new artist

R.CITY

two brothers from st. thomas have been making headlines on MTV Jamz and my little sister's ipod. Rock City, Akon's newest artist, debuted with their single 'losing it'. its a typcial first single: just a dab of beat and bass, a sprinkle of personal- island style, and a pinch of depth. the entire song is based on them stalking a lady.. whose lips have strength? seeing the music video each time i turned to mtv and hearing the song constantly on the radio, was overkill. i couldnt pull myself to listen to them ..

until i heard this..





reminding me of a beat by lupe or kweli i was instantly captivated. at first sound, i didnt believe it was rock city - probably because akon wasnt in the background yelling KONVICT MUSIK! the lyrics are sweet, something like a hip hop soul lullaby - this girl clearly still has them head over heels. but the vibe is different, a new spectrum. i hear the depth their first single was lacking. its a feel good song and somewhat similar to i use to love h.e.r by common (i said sorta). if they were cuter, i'd probably fall in love.. must be the badu in me. when they come on the radio i may start paying them some attention, perhaps you should too.

campus crawl

the race for housing is nearly impossible to beat. most students wake up early or miss class just to right click three times for semi-decent rooming. some colleges have lotteries, while others focus on students gpa, involvement, and other requirements. one would think it would be simple to wake up, open the university's housing page, and select the room of choice. this is true, it is; however, with unreliable internet connections a simple task can be impossible.

imagine sitting at your computer for fifteen minutes, on the same screen, waiting for 9:00 am to hit. you know that in twenty seconds over half the people in your dorm and many others will on a mad dash for housing. its 9:00am. wham-bam-thank you ma'am! you're on, but wait.. why did the screen turn blank?



this question has been boggling university student's across the nation, specifically those at an hbcu in washington, dc. internet outages, round about housing responses, and inefficient work ethics have left some tuition paying students - dormless. when it seems impossible to get through to the housing managers .. after weeks of phone calls and meetings, the next step is speaking to the president of the university. chasing the pavement is the only way to get anywhere.


when a student has the criteria and rsvp points available to reserve housing, why ignore their concerns? what is the point of having housing officers who are not sympathetic to issues that plague the students? clearly the students can’t manipulate the wireless internet, so it must the university’s fault for having poor technology.


so what do you do?

you write a letter and you continue to call. you show up at one office and if they dismiss you, you prance into another. people can tell you 'no' all day, but eventually someone will reply 'yes'. gather your friends, family, and others for support - make a petition on the dorm reservation system. do what you can to make your situation better.


that's what Howard University student, Melissa, is doing,

she states:

"I am taking my final step in “Operation Melissa Must Stay” on Friday [August 8, 2008]. I am currently drafting an e-mail to our new President, Dr. Sidney Ribeau. In this e-mail I would like to attach a list of names of Howard students who feel that my situation is unjust and to regularly happening on our campus. If you are in a similar situation your name will be added also. All I need if for everyone to write on the wall of the event or if u want your name to be kept secret send me a message with your first and last name as well as your classification."

if you would like to help Melissa, and the many students in her position, send me an email with your name and classification and you will be added to the petition as well. you can also view her facebook event at : http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=21703948794.



there's nothing like paying thousands of dollars to an institution that can't guarantee you a reliable dorm-selection process.

..it’s a campus crawl.

Ms. L'oreal

im not going to get into this clearly altered image of beyonce from L'oreal .. today.



im going to ignore it and let you know that, from what i hear, her latest single features her lover, jayz. && she's rapping. yes, she's rapping - ill keep you posted. i know you're dying to hear it..

just listen.

what them girls like - ludacris, chris brown, and sean garrett.mp3







the beat is a definite banger with headliner chris brown on the track, how could it not be. ok, im playing chris brown is starting to be on every song like t-pain, so its nothing new. but the song is still whassup, the more i listen to it the more i like it.i can see the girls and i listening to it, vibin, as we get dressed for a night out. im still trying to figure out if that was chris or sean garrett that hit that micheal jackson note at the end. wtf was that? if you dont know who sean garrett is, goggle him - he's like that. aside from that, ludacris is coming back a little strong (ive missed him, personally), he has a few new singles out including his piece called 'politics'[listen here] which samples one of yung buck's beats. the song has raised eyebrows on Obama's end, who has previously stated Luda was on his ipod.


Obama released this statement, back in late July:

“As Barack Obama has said many, many times in the past, rap lyrics today too often perpetuate misogyny, materialism, and degrading images that he doesn’t want his daughters or any children exposed to,” explained spokesman Bill Burton. “This song is not only outrageously offensive to Senator Clinton, Reverend Jackson, Senator McCain, and President Bush, it is offensive to all of us who are trying to raise our children with values we hold dear. While Ludacris is a talented individual he should be ashamed of these lyrics.”



Case - Beyonce.mp3

dubbing from 'get me bodied', 'lost yo mind' and 'ring the alarm' to achieve this new sound - doesnt impress me. i struggled to find a decent verse, but was overpowered by the chorus. 'case' will probably be one of her singles, topping the charts of 106&park, and receive air time in area clubs but still i wonder .. dear b, what exactly are you doing? you're still yelling. you're not a ghetto mess, you're going to break your neck if you keep rolling it like that. aren't you happily married? ..sing a love song or something.

im just sayin..


------------------------------------------------------------------------


kisses and misses:

goes to..

lil mama.

ok ok, just take it all in and ask yourself a few questions.

1) what was she thinking?

2) was she supposed to be lola bunny?

3) why is she wearing red pumps with a see-thru pink top?

i knew she had an eccentric style, however; this is taking it too far. watching americas next dance crew and seeing her so proudly rock those glittery- fitteds-with-the-ponytail-cut-out- at-the-top-of-her-head, braced me for tonights teen choice awards red carpet. is it me, or does she look like an ex powder puff girl?. i can tell she was attempting the girly chic look, but she may need to stick to what she knows - everyone would be happier. i mean, at least her lip-gloss popped.

oh and this is miss, if you were wondering. ok ok, im done.

oh, and happy 47th barack.




n.mot