New addition: Honey Chaka Khan

Born March 28, 2009. She's such a sweetheart.

I ain’t sayin’ she bitin’, but…

…c’mon now. I took my picture back in March. Miss O is on the September issue. As soon as I saw it, I felt an immediate and admittedly ridiculous ’bout of “Oh no she didn’t!” That’s a silly reaction of course. O’s shot has a certain polish and sheen that mine doesn’t. Still. The pose, the clothes and even the make-up are oddly similar, no?

Kid-reporter Damon Weaver gets Obama interview.

As the U.S. presidential election heated up last year, eleven year-old Damon Weaver of Canal Point, Florida became an unlikely reporter covering the race. With his cameraman and classmate Omar, Damon got face-time with some of the biggest names on the political scene, including Hillary Clinton, Caroline Kennedy and a now classic interview with Joe Biden.

Along the way, Damon developed quite a fanbase. (Me included.) Seasoned reporters from big-name news organizations — CNN, Fox, NBC, etc. — took note. In instances where Damon was the one interviewing them, they strained to hide their curious smirks. But they answered all his questions honestly and in language that any fifth grader could understand. And that’s really been the beauty in Damon’s reporting. He asks good, simple, relevant questions and he usually gets easy-to-understand answers.

Most notably, during ABC’s election night coverage, a tuxedo-clad Damon was included. He sat in ABC’s studios next to Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos. Even Charles Gibson looked a little impressed. (And we all know Charlie can mean-mug with the best of them.)

While Damon’s rise was rather enchanting, he made it clear that what he really, really wanted was an interview with the big dawg himself: Barack Obama. Well, he finally — FINALLY! — got it.

I grinned the whole time I watched this. And I’m not ashamed to say I got a little teary-eyed, too.

College graduate sues alma mater because she can’t find a job. No. For real.

When I saw this headline on CNN’s website this morning, I clicked on it immediately. At the university level, you’re paying for your education, which ultimately gives you an advantage on the job market. There are no guarantees. And to my knowledge, no college promises any.

But maybe — just maybe — this student had compelling reasons, or better yet, hard evidence to support this unusual argument. So I clicked on the link.

I didn’t read what I expected.

Skin Bleaching

As if misconceptions about black haircare weren’t enough, here’s a short clip on a family of skin bleachers…which apparently is all the rage in Jamaica and the U.K. I’ve heard about black Americans doing this fifty years ago, but I never dreamed that it was still going on. Darker skin, especially on men, has been the standard of sexiness for the past several years, no? (Maybe it’s just me.)

And wouldn’t this hurt? Wouldn’t your skin feel raw and sensitive and uncomfortable? *shrugs*  I guess if you’re uncomfortable in your skin to begin with, a little more discomfort for the sake of “beauty” is no big deal.

In any case, this is really sad.

The “good hair” issue examined, Chris Rock-style.

You’ll have to pardon my recent blogging slumber. Been busy editing and stuff. But I had to post this. Haircare among black women is not a new topic. But Chris Rock’s new documentary is shedding new — and very humorous — light on it.

In case you haven’t smiled today…

Miss Patti goes to church on the alphabet. (Feel free to repeat this clip as many times as I have.)

Education in the ‘hood. Something new.

I’ve thought about teaching a few times. With more of these programs, brilliant folks like myself are a sure thing.

The Block is Hot

I’ve always thought my neighborhood was relatively safe. It’s very residential. There’s a subway nearby. A police precinct is around the corner. The courtyard of my actual building is well lit and it even has a few security guards. But recently things got a little rowdy, and now that I work from home full-time, it’s occurred to me that my block might be kinda hot. And not in the Paris Hilton way either.

Let me take you back to two months ago. One of the apartments in my complex caught fire. I woke up to the sound of breaking glass. At first I thought someone was just throwing away a bunch of stuff. But the glass-breaking didn’t stop. It went on and on and on. It was a pretty Sunday morning and I was just stirring from my sleep and I kinda thought I was still dreaming. But then I smelled smoke and heard sirens.

Chia Obama. Really, America?

I’ve seen Obama action figures, Obama chicken fingers, and now we have Obama as a chia pet. No this is not a joke…though it seems like one.

And of course this led to…

I’m not offended by this per se. It’s just all together odd.

What say you?