What Alex Writes...

How to make a woman interested in you...

2012-02-02T09:09:00.000-08:00

Boy meets girl, they have a decent conversation and exchange numbers, boy irks girl's nerves so she stops chatting with him, boy harasses girl.

That's been the story of my life for quite a while... Now I don't normally post personal details on this blog, but today I'll make an exception. This is mainly because I know for certain that I can't possibly be the only one that goes through this. Whether male or female, we've all had to deal with that person that just couldn't seem to take a hint. Unfortunately for me, that person is actually those people. There have been a few men that I've met over the years and while they were nice people, I was not romantically interested in them. So I did what any normal person would do... Put them in the friend zone! Before you begin to judge please note that in no way, shape, or form have I ever led anyone on or purposely caused them to believe that a love connection was a possibility.

Why is it that folks play themselves by automatically assuming that exchanging numbers means that they're about to start dating someone? I've literally had a guy speak to me like I was obligated to spend quality time with him after one phone conversation. I believe a person has the right to feel you out via telephone conversations before either of you waste time or money going on dates. That's fair, right? I must admit, I'm not perfect and I could work on being a bit more blunt with people, but I fear being rude. As opposed to just saying "I just don't like you," I've given excuses in the past. I've either told people that I'm in no position to be dating right now, that I don't have time, or that maybe I'd hit them up if I wanted to hang out. These excuses were totally honest though. I am in no position to be dating someone I don't particularly care for, I work two jobs so spare time is scarce, and I always place emphasis on the word maybe. These days if the excuses don't work I'm just less inclined to respond to text messages and phone calls. Why am I like this and what are the men in question doing wrong?

Only God knows why I'm like this, but some may site the fact that I'm a gemini as a reason for me being wishy washy in my dealings with men. I don't believe my astrological sign has anything to do with it, I simply know what I like and up until recently I hadn't been attracting it. Allow me to list a few of my experiences. I've received multiple text messages at all hours of the night, been turned off by inappropriate comments, and simply been annoyed by another party's lackluster conversation. What did I do in these instances? I didn't respond because if I did, the fool would've thought that texting me at 3am was acceptable, I verbally expressed my disgust, and I ended calls abruptly and ignored the heck out of future ones and text messages. What did the men do? Simple. They kept calling and/or texting. But why?

Some call it persistence, others call it harassment. I call it pure desperation. There's no way I'd continue attempting to contact anyone after multiple failed attempts. Here's a rule of thumb: if you call and/or text someone three times to no avail, they're either dead, super busy, or just not interested in talking to you. My advice would be to stop calling. Give that person the opportunity to show that they're interested in you, if they don't then chances are they aren't.

I am a woman so I can only speak from my experience. I can't give much advice to other women about how to make the right guy interested in you because if I knew, my new crush would probably call me more often. However, I can gear some advice to men because I've dealt with my fair share of ones that I was not eager to get to know. The truth is I don't know any tricks that will ensure a woman's interest, but I do know things that'll definitely prevent it.

Don't constantly call or text a woman unless she is behaving in a similar manner. It makes you seem pressed. Also if you're a man (or woman) that always "chilling" and hanging out who never mentions going to work, chances are another person, if they're anything like me, will not be interested in you. In addition, monitor the type of conversations you have. Any respectable woman won't want to discuss sex with you in the beginning stages of your friendship so if that's what your conversations are typically about, something needs to change. This last bit of advice is universal: just be yourself. If the person you're interested in isn't responding to that then keep it moving. Perhaps it just wasn't meant to be.

That's all I've got for now. Do you have any tips or stories you'd like to share? If so, please feel free to comment below. Also, I'd definitely appreciate if you shared this post with others because excessive phone calls and texts from uninteresting people is a growing epidemic. I'd like you to help me have a part in putting a stop to it.

Thanks for reading,

Alexandria B.

"As long as it sounds good..."

2011-12-18T05:14:00.000-08:00

I am a fan of music. R&B is my favorite genre, it always has been and I used to think that this would always be the case, but as of late many R&B artists have taken a new route to please the masses so the quality of music has changed. As opposed to songs about love and life, they've decided to compose stripper anthems and other songs that demean women. Tank, for example, is one of my favorite artists of all time and even he has managed to disappoint me with his latest mixtape. The R&B crooner who is known for hits like "Maybe I Deserve" and "I Can't Make You Love Me" now has a song titled "Money on the Floor" making him no exception to this fad.

To be honest, stripper references in so-called R&B songs is getting pretty old and so is direction giving, "Girl, back it up, drop it low, etc." Since when did women need to be told how to dance and why must songs promise us money? "I got a pocket full of ones" or "I'ma make it rain" are pretty common lines. I can't speak for other women, but I must say that I wouldn't want anyone throwing singles at me nor would I want to pick money up from the floor. Many of these songs lack creativity and rap songs are even worse these days. In fact, it would take me hours to analyze the lyrics of some of the most popular rap songs and I won't even bother watching the videos for them anymore because the concept is almost always the same... Nice cars, scantily clad exotic looking women, and stacks of money. Did I miss anything?

That brings me to another point, thousands of women these days aspire to become actresses or models. Please note that I use the term "actress" loosely as many of them are not thespians and simply desire to be on television. That being said, they'll do pretty much anything for some camera time. Above I've embedded a video for Chris Brown's latest single "Strip" featuring Kevin McCall to help prove my theory. These women were so eager to be in a Chris Brown video that they couldn't unite to say "Hey guys, maybe we should opt not to wear bikinis in a snow scene while the men are wearing sweaters." Granted, it wasn't real snow but still... The idea of women being around to entertain these men is apparent. Not to mention, there were scenes when two or more women were vying for one man's attention in scenes that insinuated sexual acts. Was it really necessary for them to go into closets? But then again with lyrics like "If you ain't freakin', we ain't speaking," I guess I shouldn't have expected much from the video. Let me not to forget to mention, I actually like how this song sounds. One can't deny, it sounds good. The beat is amazing and that infectious "Got d@mn, you sexy" line is catchy. But do I agree with its lyrics? Would I dance to it in public? No.

Stripper songs aren't the only issue and men aren't the only ones contributing to horrible themed music. Nicki Minaj raps about having a squeaky clean vagina and asks for money in the remix to rapper Big Sean's popular song "Dance (A$$)." If the number one female in the industry doesn't demand respect and encourages fans to label themselves as bad bitches, what hope is there? What else does our youth have to listen to if these songs get major airplay? Young women will grow up thinking that their body is their greatest asset and young men will believe that if they don't have tons of money, they're unworthy of a female's attention. Then we will notice a continued influx of women that desire to be video models and/or strippers and men that wish to sell drugs and/or become rappers. It's a vicious cycle and no one wants to take responsibility for it. Artists will cite "just having fun" as a reason for some of their lyrical content and consumers will continue to dance to it and be influenced as long as it sounds good. Artists like YG, Waka Flocka, and Soulja Boy will continue to thrive as long as they can manage to have good beats for their songs.

I've been hesitant to blog about this because I didn't want it to seem like a rant, but I just got tired of the topic festering in my mind. As a person with younger siblings, a lover of music and a woman, I demand more. There are plenty of ways to make promote change. For starters, you could stop buying the albums. You can also call your local radio stations and say something. Request songs of substance, be mindful of what you listen to and don't just require a nice beat. Lyrics matter and the next time you're dancing to a stripper anthem, don't just continue dancing because you know it doesn't apply to you. Those around you may assume different. Please be sure to share your thoughts in a comment below. Do you think the music industry is full of nonsense or am I overreacting?

Thanks for reading,

Alexandria B.

Troy Davis: Are you a bandwagon activist?

2011-09-21T23:56:00.000-07:00

Tonight Troy Anthony Davis was declared dead at 11:08 p.m. As expected, many are outraged citing a faulty judicial system as the reason for such injustice. I am one of these people, but I am also a bit perturbed about how and why some elected to protest Davis' execution. Over the past week I have witnessed a significant amount of rallying by thousands of people who believed there was "too much doubt" in Davis' case for him to be executed.

Of those thousands of people, I wonder how many actually researched the case. I wonder how many knew the details of what he was arrested for before sending tweets and signing petitions. I'd estimate that nearly half of the people posting about Davis' pending execution had the slightest clue about all of the components involved. This brings me to the mention of bandwagon activists, individuals that unite for a cause only because they see others doing it; society is filled with plenty of these people.

While his claims of innocence drew worldwide support this week, Davis' case has been ongoing for 22 years. His execution had been stopped three times since 2007. Did we really expect justice to be rendered on a case of this magnitude after 48 hours of Facebook statuses, retweets and blog posts? Are we that naive? Yes, social networking is powerful but this is the Supreme Court we're talking about here, not Beyonce's baby bump.

I wonder how many of us thought about Mark MacPhail. If you aren't aware of who I'm referring to, please include yourself in the above mentioned 50%. Whether you choose to believe it or not, justice has been served for MacPhail and his family tonight for they believed that Davis was guilty. Imagine if it was your relative that was killed, would you be against the accused murderer's execution then?

I truly believe it's important to be informed and consider all sides of a story before taking a stance. If you were one of the people rallying, what were you doing it for? Were you protesting the death penalty or injustice on a Black man? Don't just campaign for a cause that you know nothing about, do some research so that you'll know exactly what you're fighting for. Don't call a man innocent when you really don't know because you were not there.

Please don't get me wrong, I too am saddened by what happened to Troy Davis just hours ago. Do I believe he was innocent? Yes, but I'm not a judge in a court of law. Neither are most of the people that posted tweets and signed petitions. Deep down I wish that the rallying and protests would have produced a much different outcome. There is no question about it, our judicial system is flawed. I wonder how many of us will spend future hours trying to change it.

I honestly can't believe that I'm witnessing this type of history in 2011. It's all very reminiscent of the Jim Crow laws when things were outrageously slanted against the interests of African Americans. How can a case with seven of nine witnesses recanting or disputing all or parts of their testimony repeatedly be denied a new trial? How can a man be indicted and executed with no existing physical evidence? I have tons of questions, but do they really matter at this point? After all, Troy Davis is dead and "justice was served" according to several state and federal judges.

Click here to hear Troy Davis speak about his situation before his death, it'll definitely make you sad if you aren't already. Please feel free to answer any of the questions I posed above, comment below or post links to articles or posts that you think will be interesting for me to see about the topic.

Thanks for reading,

Alexandria B.

August Workout/Diet/Life Challenge

2011-07-31T11:02:00.000-07:00

I won't even start this post with the usual apology for not posting in ages. Just know that my intentions for this blog are good, but free time is not in abundance. Anyway, I decided that I'd make August 2011 a month that I'd end with no regrets. If you're anything like me you always wish and pray for better things to happen in your life. You think you're trying hard, but you can always increase your efforts. You know you deserve better, but can't seem to get it. If you're tired of the previous statements applying to you, keep reading this post.

Let's begin with the fitness challenge that I decided on this morning when I came across this video. I am 5'3 and weigh less than 115 lbs yet I am just as uncomfortable in a swimsuit as a person who is hundreds of pounds overweight. Most people assume that I'm simply insecure, but that's not the case. Just because someone is small doesn't mean they're healthy or in shape. I have poor eating habits, I rarely exercise, and I've grown accustomed to calling myself "skinny-fat." With this challenge I will begin exercising at least three times a week and eating well balanced meals daily. This means that my dollar menu addiction must cease.

I understand that fast food is convenient, cheap, and sometimes delicious but isn't our health much more important? Let's tackle our diets. We only get one body in this life and it's time that we monitor what we put in it. We often claim that we don't have enough time to cook or exercise because our lives our so hectic yet we find time to either read or write blogs, waste on social networking sites, or watch meaningless television shows. Imagine giving yourself a measly 30 minutes per day. Sounds easy right? Since I'm starting small and I'll only be working out three times per week, the other four days will involve me spending my me-time differently.

Here comes the life challenge. Start reading books, practicing new or long lost hobbies, better yet do anything you can think of that doesn't involve technology. We're becoming too dependent on electronic devices. I know this from personal experience because my cell phone hasn't worked properly in days and I feel incomplete. If facebook, twitter, or tumblr are major consumers of your time, this challenge is for you.

Alex before the challenge = )

THE BOTTOM LINE

Workout Challenge - I don't know what you need to work on and I'm not a personal trainer so I can't give you workout tips. That would be the epitome of the blind leading the blind. I can say that during this challenge, the actual workout won't be the hardest part. Getting out of bed to start the workout will be. Or if you're planning to workout after work, please do so as soon as you get home or you'll get too relaxed and put the task off until the next day. Consider this the RIGHT NOW challenge because we'll have to encourage ourselves to exercise as soon as it crosses our minds. It's time to stop putting off for tomorrow the things that we can accomplish today.

Diet Challenge - I'm also not a dietitian so I'm not going to try to list thing you should include in your diet. What I'm going to do is make sure I eat breakfast daily. This breakfast will include Nutella, reduced fat milk, orange juice (with pulk because that stuff is amazing), some form of fresh fruit, and whole grain bread. Perhaps I'll post photos of how things are going with my diet mid-month to show you guys how I'm doing things. My lunch and dinner will include tons of vegetables and foods with protein. I'm positive that starches are going to play a large role in my diet as well because potatoes were sent from heaven. I'm simply trying to tone up and perhaps gain a few pounds so if you're trying to lose weight, our diets will differ. The most important thing to remember is to avoid processed foods. Lastly give yourself one cheat day per week. Perhaps Saturdays would be best to eat the snacks that you may crave all week, but remember to eat proper portions. A couple weeks ago I made a pan of brownies and ate them all by myself, that probably wasn't wise.

Life Challenge - This is my favorite part of the challenge. Not only will I be working out, but I will have the opportunity to improve my quality of life. Let this not be the month for complaining, let's take action. As I mentioned earlier, start reading more and practicing a hobby. If you hate your job, spend time searching and applying for a new one. We may not have all the things we want, but we are capable of getting them if we just work hard at it.

That's all for this post. Please leave a comment if you're with me in this challenge. Let me know what you're planning on including in your diet or exercise routines because I'm interested in seeing how others take on this challenge. I often see blog challenges and other random challenges online, it's time that we challenge ourselves to do something that can actually help us.

Thanks for reading,

Alexandria B.

I went to the 2011 BET Awards...

2011-06-30T19:27:00.000-07:00

I'm just now finding time to post about my experience at this year's BET Awards. Not only was I lucky enough to attend, I got paid to go on stage and pretend to be one of Nicki Minaj's "Barbies" so I got to see quite a few celebrities face-to-face. I felt pretty lucky to be one of the ten young ladies chosen and I got recognized by tons of people that I know even though I was wearing a wig. Woop Woop! Moving on, this post won't be long. When I was in the presence of the celebrities that attended the event, I realized that I have a lot of pride. Something in me didn't feel comfortable asking for photos or anything of the sort. I have to really like someone to be thirsty enough to do that. Needless to say I don't have many photos from the awards to share.

Isn't her dress the cutest thing you've ever seen?

I was thirsty enough to ask recording artist, Dondria for a photo though, LoL. Don't judge me, I've loved her for years! I simply wanted to take a photo of her and she and her pal let me be in the picture. I was beyond excited! Even though I only interacted with her for approximately 30 seconds, that brief moment confirmed why I'm such a huge fan of hers. She's super nice and ridiculously under-rated! Folks need to stop sleeping on her music. I swear her song "Still Be With Me" is one of my favorite R&B tracks of all time. Be sure to follow her on twitter to stay informed about what's going on with her and whatnot.

I was also able to get a photograph with Bruno Mars that I was tempted not to post because I look like a goofball in it. I don't have a super cool story to tell about him, but he was nice and his hands were very soft. = ) Prior to the awards a young lady asked to take a photo with me and some of the other girls that were going to present the award with Nicki Minaj. Little did we know that girl, Tiffany Greene, would become an overnight celebrity after a technical error caused her to announce both Chris Brown and Rihanna as the winner of BET's Coca Cola Viewer's Choice Award. Since she's "famous" now I decided to share that picture with you guys as well.

Courtesy of Tiffany Greene's twitter page

These are about the only photos I have worth sharing. I also took a photo of J. Cole, but it came out blurry. Kerry Washington also posed for a photo but my wack phone wouldn't cooperate. Again, I'm really grateful that I was able to attend this awards show. I recently learned that #TeamMinaj is really serious when it comes to being hardcore fans and there are thousands of people that would have given their left pinky toe to stand on stage with Nicki Minaj and/or Justin Bieber. If you'd like to see a clip of the award that we were on stage for click here. That's about all for this post. I'll get back to blogging regularly in the next few weeks.

Thanks for reading,

Alexandria B.

Why people use Foursquare and/or "check in" online...

2011-06-09T00:33:00.000-07:00

Whose bright idea was it to create a method for folks to note their locations on a mobile device and share them with their friends? I can recall the exact moment I got my first Loopt request years ago. It was the first time I ever heard of an application of its kind and I remember being immediately opposed to the idea. From what I understood, if you were meeting up with friends the app would make it easier for them to find you by locating you on a map. I remember thinking, "What happened to good, old fashioned calling and asking for directions?" At the time I rarely met up with groups of people so that was among the many reasons I saw no need to download the app.

Times have changed. Now Foursquare, Google Latitude, and "check-in" capabilities on social networking sites are the norm. People are now able to share their locations with the simple click of a button. At first I could not understand why they'd want to share such information with the public, but then I thought long and hard. As a result, I have compiled a list of four reasons why people opt to let others know where they are on social networking sites. The reasons are as follows:

I. They have something to promote.
An individual that can potentially gain from others knowing their location may choose to "check-in" to let others know they have arrived. For example, if Rihanna had an in-store appearance to promote her perfume it may be beneficial for her to let her fans know her location. Rihanna would benefit monetarily from revealing her location because sales for her fragrance are likely to increase just because fans were able to get a glimpse of her in person.

II. They want to share (or brag) about the excitement in their life.
If someone is at an expensive restaurant and you happen to spot a post like "Jane Doe just checked in at (insert fancy place here)."then it's safe to assume that gloating was the intent. If they choose to reveal their attendance at a club or party then they more than likely just want others to know that they are in the midst of doing something exciting.

III. They want to get stalked and/or murdered.
Anyone who willingly posts their location for all to see wants to be a victim. Privacy should be valued to some extent and if the person's twitter account is not private or their friends list consists of at least one person that they don't know well, they're asking for trouble. I used Rihanna in the previous example, but the difference between her and the average person is the fact that she has a bodyguard on duty.

IV. They are lame.
If you use an app to "check-in" and actually think others want to know what you're doing and where you are all day, you're idiotic. You don't leave much to be desired when you post everything online and if I can simply read your timeline, there's no need for me to ever call to inquire about how your day was.

So these are the only possible reasons I could fathom. If I missed anything, please feel free to share it in a comment below. Lastly, I must admit that people's decision to reveal their locations to the masses is not the only thing that bothers me. It really seems like some people are incapable of doing anything without sharing. For example, the obsession with the #np (now playing) hashtag on twitter shows that even an activity as simple as listening to music has been altered. Not only do people have to know where you are, they have to know what you're listening to too?

Social networking has changed how we communicate altogether. When I meet a guy he shouldn't ask me for my twitter username before my telephone number. And yes, this has happened... I'm rambling, please excuse me. Back to the topic at hand, shouldn't we just be living life and doing exciting things to share them with people afterward? Or does this new ability to share things instantly enrich our lives in some way that I'm not seeing? Please note this post isn't meant to offend anyone. Maybe I'm just old school and can't get with the latest technology. What are your thoughts? Is social networking and its many features getting out of control or am I tripping?

Thanks for reading,

Alexandria B.

New Posts Coming Soon/ Brownstone Magazine Giveaway

2011-06-06T10:46:00.000-07:00

Hello All:

I don't write nearly as much as I should. Forgive me. Things have been pretty hectic lately. I have an awesome topic in mind that I plan to post by tomorrow evening so please stay tuned. This quick post shall serve as promotion for an online magazine that I write for. Brownstone Magazine is a website that is designed to represent the voices of young African-American girls between the ages of 14 and 18. If you or anyone you know can benefit from the site, please spread the word. The Brownstone Team works hard to put out quality articles and it would be great to know that they're reaching the masses. Follow the magazine on twitter @BrownstoneMag and you'll be up-to-date on all the latest happenings. We have a lot of interesting things going on and you'll surely love them. If you're interested in getting on the mailing list then please feel free to post your email address below OR email me if you don't wanna post it for all to see. Lastly, read below to find out more about the site's giveaway for teenagers in the Los Angeles area.

Brownstone Magazine Nail Makeover Giveaway

Brownstone is hosting it's first giveaway. Ladies, send us your best prom photo and you could win a nail makeover by celebrity nail stylist Hasani. Please help encourage any teens girls you know to enter.

Rules: Must be between 14 - 18 and live in the LA area to enter. DEADLINE: Friday, June 10 at midnight PST. Please submit photos to info@brownstonemagazine.com. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, June 15.

Thanks so much for reading and for your support,

Alexandria B.

Why I Won't "Follow" Certain Celebs on Twitter...

2011-05-12T00:22:00.000-07:00

Before touching on the title of this post, I'll tell you what inspired me to write it. I was supposed to be asleep when I happened to peep my twitter timeline and noticed that actress Meagan Good posted an interesting tweet. I then went to her page and read her latest tweets out of pure boredom and nosiness. I noticed that a lot of her tweets were in response to questions asked by fans which is unlike what can be seen on the pages of other celebrities. Her response to one tweet in particular (shown below) stood out to me and is responsible for this post.

Instead of being as rude as I probably would have been to this person, she replied respectfully. My response would have been something like "Look clown, why does it matter who I'm following?" I would've typed something else, but it's not necessarily appropriate. How dare this fan insult the work she's done in her career over her decision not to follow people on twitter! Is social networking that serious? Good's response says a lot about her as a person, other celebrities, and society as a whole. In proper english, she said something like "I'm on twitter to talk to my fans, not floss who I know and have conversations on twitter that I could have via text message to look cool... I'm on here for my fans." Wow. Have you ever thought about that? The conversations that people have on twitter can be had over the phone, but they choose to put things online for all to see. This doesn't mean that all of them are flossing, but many of them are.

CLICK PHOTOS TO MAKE THEM LARGER

Think about it, we "follow" celebrities because we, in some way, want to see what their lives are like. These people influence us to do certain things. For example, notice how Kim Kardashian walks around in Christian Louboutin's all day yet endorses $40 shoes for her fans to purchase. I'd bet money that her slippers cost more than the shoes sold on ShoeDazzle. I can't front, some of those shoes look cute online but for the most part, they're not high in quality yet the revenue from the company's sales helps make Kardashian rich. It's sad how easily influenced we are. Please note that I use the word "we" loosely. I've never once considered purchasing a pair of shoes from that site. There's something special about me selecting my own shoes. Back to the topic at hand, celebrities have power on twitter. The power to influence others and the power to make others wish they lived similar lifestyles.

I personally follow very few famous people on twitter and that's only because I actually care what they have to say. Hill Harper, Lalah Hathaway, and Meagan Good are among the celebrities that I follow that constantly have projects coming out that I'd like to stay informed about. I follow Tank because he's the prototype, LoL. For the most part I mind my own business and don't do too much reading into other people's conversations. To be honest, they'd likely depress me. Why would I, a college senior and full-time employee, want to read about the fun events that celebrities attend or see the expensive clothing that they oftentimes get for free that I can't yet afford? I've got better things to do. That's why I won't follow certain celebrities on twitter.

I truly believe that a large number of these celebrities don't realize that they're flossing on twitter by posting their outfits, expensive shoes, or photos of themselves at lavish social events. They can't possibly know better. There are some aspects of their lives that fans don't need to know. Granted, social networking has provided fans with the opportunity to get connected with stars, but it also causes unnecessary drama. All this checking into locations and posting what you're about to do is not wise or safe for that matter. Just ask Serena Williams who just recently had a stalker arrested at her home. If that's not a reason for discretion, I don't know what is.

There are certain celebrities that I happen to love, but see no need to follow them on twitter. There are others that do what I consider too much. You know when they're having a gathering and what other celebrities are going to be there just by browsing their twitter pages. Fans have a way of doing the most as well. Twitter enables everyone to "have a voice" no matter what so people take advantage of this at times. Whether fans choose to beg for retweets or insult people that they don't know, they can happily do it on twitter.

What are your thoughts? Has privacy become extinct? Are celebrities flossing online? Or is it the fans who are at fault? How do you feel about the issue? Please feel free to post a comment below.

Thanks for reading,

Alexandria B.

For those that read "relationship quotes" often...

2011-05-01T15:51:00.000-07:00

I know for a fact that I'm not the only one that reads quotes as a method of coping with things that I go through in life. Whether I'm seeking inspiration or need a boost of confidence to help me finish assignments at work or school, I have a tendency to read and decipher quotes that I think relate to me. Lately I've noticed that others using quotes to deal with relationship issues. When I say others, I'm definitely not speaking code for "myself" simply because I lack both, the relationship and the issues. Continue reading if you're one of these people I'm referring to because I have a feeling this is about to get good.

I have friends on facebook and tumblr that severely overuse Maya Angelou's quote, "The first time someone shows you who they are, believe them." Oftentimes, this is in reference to a failed relationship or someone disappointing them. I know this simply because of the comments that usually follow. I happen to love this quote, but am tired of reading it all the time. In fact, Maya Angelou has numerous quotes that are wise and inspirational, but this one, in particular, is one of my favorites. If you're in a relationship and an incident occurs that completely shocks you, one in which the person you're dating seems like a totally different person that does foul things, please don't think that it will be a one time occurrence. The person may apologize and you may forgive them, but don't act shocked when it happens again. Foul incidents include but are not limited to the following: cheating, lying, physical or verbal abuse, and many other whorish activities.

I get it. We all want to be in love with a person that loves us unconditionally so we are willing to accept mistakes that people may make with hopes of it all becoming a fairy tale at the end. We're saddened when it all ends and the fairy tale ending is never achieved. What do you do when that person you thought was the answer ends up being the person that causes you to ask "Why?" You accept it for what it was. I truly believe that people are in our lives for seasons and when they may return when the time is right. I also believe that if a person has you analyzing quotes to cope with the disappointment they've created, they're not the one for you.

As far as relationships go, I swear by a quote from Andrew Carnegie which states, "As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do." If a person says they like, love, and/or care about you that's great. Do their actions back up their claims? If so, that's perfect! If not, take a step back and evaluate your relationship. There is nothing worse than caring for someone more than they care for you. Well there are worse things, but you get my drift. More than likely Carnegie was not thinking about my love life when he said these words, but I managed to find a way to relate. This awesome quote can be used in referenced to anything.

So if you're one of those people that are constantly copying and pasting quotes that you think will be seen by the person it's referring to, you should probably stop. I'm a fan of quotes that encourage and inspire me to become a better person. Start looking up quotes that do the same for you. Once you're the best possible you, the person that's "made for you" will come along. At least that's what I'd like to believe...

Thanks for reading, feel free to post your thoughts!

Alexandria B.

Movie Review: Madea's Big Happy Family

2011-04-27T21:01:00.000-07:00

Before you say anything, I'll just go ahead and type it. Yes, I took one for the team. I decided to take myself on a date to determine if Tyler Perry's latest film is indeed "coonery and buffoonery" as Spike Lee and many others suggest. I noticed myself not wanting to see the movie at all simply because the previews made the film seem ridiculous. I also read an amazing blog post that criticized Perry's work which made me want to see the movie for myself. If you can't tell, I try not to be the type of person that judges things before experiencing them for myself.

As I hinted above I hated the marketing and promotion tactics used for this movie because after watching previews or seeing billboards, I had no clue what to expect from the film. Tyler Perry dressing up and posing for posters that had nothing to do with his film did not impress me. I knew that many popular African American actors would be in it including Loretta Devine, Shad 'Bow Wow' Moss, and Lauren London. I was surprised to see Isaiah Mustafa (the man from the Old Spice commercials) as a main character in the film. Actually he was one of the main reasons the film could be considered remotely enjoyable.

I must admit that I wanted to leave after the first eight minutes. Loretta Devine and Cassi Davis had the opening scene and it was nowhere near comedic, Davis' character, Aunt Bam smoked marijuana throughout the entire film and many of the film's jokes were centered around this. I could have completely done without her boisterous character. I can honestly say that I laughed no more than twice during the 106 minute film so it is not a good selection if you're looking to see a great comedy. On a positive note, the film's dramatic elements make it bearable.

Shannon Kane, Isaiah Mustafa, Loretta Devine, and Bow Wow gave noteworthy performances that added to the film's drama. I won't go into much detail but they make their roles believable and caused me to want to shed a tear. As far as a review goes, I think I mislead you into reading this post because I'm not sure I can offer a good one. It does not surprise me that the film has 2.6 out of 10 stars on IMDb because the parts that are enjoyable are somewhat canceled out by the ridiculous portions of the film. Madea's antics among other parts of the are not entertaining and contribute to numerous stereotypes, but I wouldn't label is as "coonery." Teyanna Taylor's role as the "typical baby mama" may not have been funny to me, but judging from her twitter page, plenty of people found it hilarious. Lauren London's character seems too similar to the one she played in ATL so no comment.

All in all, the movie wasn't a complete waste of my $9, but I hope that in the future Tyler Perry does better. Putting a bunch of celebrities in a movie doesn't automatically make it a hit. I believe that he has become adept in creating dramatic films, but it is the comedy that needs work. I do see why Spike Lee and many others may want to criticize, but whose fault is it that Black people are entertained by this? Perry should retire the Madea character. She is not good representation of what a Black woman is or should be yet she is what's displayed to the masses. I never once noticed how saggy Madea's breasts were until last night. Really Tyler, really? I could go on, but I choose not to. If I had to give the movie a rating, I'd give it two out of five stars. That's being nice. I recommend that you go see the film for yourself. I'm sure you'll enjoy it more if you don't purchase the ticket for yourself or go for a matinee showing.

What are your thoughts? Did you see the film?

Thanks for reading,

Alexandria B.

Innocent Until Proven Guilty?

2011-04-02T11:50:00.000-07:00

Left to right: Paul Thorington, Anthony Albano, and Ray Laranjo.

One of my readers urged me to start writing about current events so it has been my plan to oblige for the last month or so. However, I never thought I'd write about a news story that hits so close to home. Last week, a female college student alleged that three men held her down and took turns raping her in a Miami Beach hotel room while on spring break. One of these men is my friend from school.

According to a Miami Beach police arrest affidavit,the woman said Paul Thorington, 22, of Lomita; Anthony Albano, 23, of Rancho Palos Verdes; and Ray Joseph Laranjo, 23, of Torrance sexually assaulted her on March 23 after she agreed to go to their seventh-floor room at the Fontainebleau to drop off her purse.

KTLA has been following the story and attempted to speak with the suspects by visiting their homes yesterday. Only Thorington was available and he offered no comment. If I were falsely accused, I'd be screaming "I'm innocent!"Perhaps his attorney has instructed him not to speak with the media, but if that's the case he should not have answered the door. When the general public hears "no comment" they associate it with guilt. In fact, when we see the alleged rapists on television it's hard to imagine the suspects are innocent.

In this case, the innocence of these men is all I want to imagine. I've had classes with Albano and he is one of the nicest people I've ever met. He has too much to lose and would never have to force himself on anyone. Please don't assume that I'm being naive because I presume innocence. At first glance, this case looks bad. Why would three men be sexually involved with one woman? Then again, why would one woman go to a hotel room that was 26 blocks away from where she met three strangers? There are so many aspects to consider before assuming anything. It's best to remain neutral, but it's hard to do that when images of these "suspects" are plastered everywhere. Commenters on numerous websites have labeled them as "monsters" and wished ill upon them without knowing the facts.

Source

That leads me to question whether or not the general public believes that suspects are innocent until proven guilty. It appears to me that only those that know these men personally care to presume innocence while others look at what's shown in the media and do the opposite. It worries me that the cost for these men to have the opportunity to prove innocence is too hefty. The three Southern California natives will have to return to Florida to fight the case. What started as a trip to enjoy themselves has potentially changed their lives forever.

The alleged suspects were booked on charges in Miami Dade County of sexual battery involving multiple offenders and have been released on $50,000 bail each. Arraignment for them is scheduled for April 14. If charged with sexual battery (the Florida designation for what is called rape in California) they could face up to 30 years in prison.

Even if the charges are dropped, the embarrassment of the issue will live on. One simple internet search and you can find that they were arrested. Their names and photos are easily accessible and the alleged victim's identity is protected. Does the media expose too much information about suspects before actual facts are available? Should the public have a right to know so much? Be sure to post your thoughts and comments below.

Thanks for reading,

Alexandria B.

The problem with love is...

2011-04-01T01:24:00.000-07:00

Nobody knows what it is...

I've been debating on which angle to take with this post and I couldn't decide so I'm choosing to wing it. No plans, just writing. The topic that has been on my mind for the past few weeks is my disgust with today's music industry. Everyone complains that music has changed, records aren't selling, hip hop is dead, and all that jazz. Quite frankly, R&B has always been my thing so I don't typically care about "artists" like Waka Flocka, Soulja Boy, or Gucci Mane.

I grew up listening to Anita Baker, Freddie Jackson and countless other amazing artists. I assumed that I'd grow up, find my "true love" and have a life that would enable me to relate to songs like "Angel" or "Have You Ever Loved Somebody." Over the years, I've been forced to come to the realization that the songs that I enjoy the most are ones that I may never be able to relate to. If I asked you to define "love" what would you say? It is my belief that the music that is popular today may be altering our views about what love is.

   Earlier today a friend of mine posted a link to a music video by P. Diddy (Puff Daddy or Diddy or whatever his name is now) and those other people that make up Dirty Money. I can't say that I'm a fan of their music, but the song was titled "Your Love" so I decided to give it a listen. The lyrics shocked me to say the least. The song is about sex if you fail to include Rick Ross' references to making and spending money. "Imma put it in your face boy as soon as you wake up. Know you wanna hit it, want me to be your little slut..." sings one of those women that usually wear panties as part of their outfits. I don't want to complain, but the song title is extremely misleading. I suppose they wouldn't have gotten much play on the radio if the song was called "Your Sex" but still.

   Here's my problem, I listened to songs like "Sweet Love" growing up and kids these days have Diddy's sexed up "Your Love." These song titles differ by one word. My younger brother and his friends listen to songs like "Toot It And Boot It" and consider it good music. To make matters worse, songs that demean women and suggest that they do things without the use of their limbs are amongst the favorites of many. This day in age all that's needed to entertain the masses is a good beat and/or a catchy tune. This saddens me.

   Gucci Mane, a semi-popular rap artist with an ice-cream cone tattooed on his face, has a song called "I Think I Love Her" and I can guarantee you that it's not about the same type of love that I and many others hope for. I could go on and on about the numerous songs that include some incorrect aspect of love in the lyrics, but it would be pointless. The bottom line is simple. R&B is popular right now only if it includes a techno beat and love is a word that is becoming extremely difficult to define. Love songs have a new sound, one that I'm not interested in. Don't get me wrong. I know that artists like Betty Wright, Marvin Gaye, and even R. Kelly had songs that were sexual in nature but it was never as tacky as it is today.

   What are your thoughts? Is love a lost cause in today's music industry? Am I being a prude or has the four-letter-word been given a new, sexual meaning? Do you prefer listening to oldies or does the new music suit you just fine? Lastly, I don't want this post to seem like a random rant about how lame I think music is these days so I've included five of my favorite love songs below to add a fun element to things. Check them out and tell me what you think!

Jesse Powell - "You"
Musiq Soulchild - "Don't Change"
Dru Hill - "These Are The Times"
Toni Braxton - "You Mean The World To Me"
Joe Sample & Lalah Hathaway - "When Your Life Was Low" (OK, it's not a love song BUT I love the song, LoL)

Thanks,
Alexandria B.

Charlie Sheen, eh?

2011-03-08T00:51:00.000-08:00

I don't blog nearly as often as I'd like to. This is a pretty busy time for me since it's my final semester in undergraduate school and I'm preparing to begin a career. It's currently after midnight and my goal is to wake up at 6 a.m. and go jogging before work. Ha, we'll see how that goes. Anyway, the topic that has been boggling my mind lately is Charlie Sheen. Well, not Sheen himself but the public's obsession with him. I am truly praying for his success while others are taking matters lightly and going on a "#winning" spree while posting jokes via facebook and twitter. Quite frankly, I've been trying to ignore the constant media coverage of Sheen but seeing as though I intern at a news station, he's been hard to miss. My problem is with most average people. Why do Charlie Sheen's rants entertain us? Have we nothing more important going on in our lives?

I can't help but sympathize with the families of the numerous people that have been killed in Los Angeles over the past two weeks because news stations seem to place precedence on Hollywood stars. Lindsay Lohan's alleged stolen necklace should not be breaking news nor should it lead most major newscasts. Yet it does. I attribute this to the public's overwhelming concern with the lives of celebrities. Regardless of what happens with Sheen or Lohan, they'll still be more well off than most that are so pressed to stay up-to-date with their activities. People need to focus on issues that affect them and their communities.

For example, my number one concern at the moment is the rising gas prices in California. My salary has not increased with the price of oil so I am definitely negatively impacted by what goes on in Libya and other places in the middle east. I'm interested in reading and hearing more about that. Also, I can guarantee you Sheen and Lohan aren't stressing about how much it'll cost them to fill up their tanks. My disgust with this country's distribution of wealth is immense and it'll take a separate blog post to describe. Back to the matter at hand, other news is happening in Los Angeles and elsewhere so we need to stop visiting blogs like TMZ and worry less about the lives of celebrities.

Here's some other news. A man from Riverside, CA is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and setting her on fire in front of her six children. Imagine how those children are feeling. Another man in Los Angeles was found dead on the 10 Freeway and was hit at least 20 times. Instead of feeling sorry for him, some commenters on the site were busy making racist comments that indicated that he was an illegal immigrant that deserved to die. Lastly, an 11-year-old girl in Cleveland, TX was gang raped and 18 people were arrested for the crime. With the many horrible things happening in this world, I find it difficult to care about what millionaires are doing. I am focused on improving my own life. So Charlie Sheen got fired from a show that paid him nearly 2 million per episode... That's not news to me. His tweets and videos may be entertaining, but the people that die everyday are not unimportant simply because they didn't have "tiger blood" running through their veins. My issue is not with Charlie Sheen because perhaps he really is winning. I just wish society led us to care about important current events. Celebrity/entertainment news should not take up headlines and that's pretty much all I wanted to get off my chest.

What are your thoughts? I'm interested in hearing what others think about all this.

Thanks for reading,

Alexandria B.

Regrets...

2011-02-08T16:49:00.000-08:00

I'm usually one of those people who says things like "I have no regrets" or "Everything happens for a reason." Not only do I say these things often, I happen to agree with them most of the time. That is until times like the present occur for me. Have you ever thought that perhaps you should regret certain things? Maybe the reason that something is happening is because of an error on your behalf. That's how I feel at the moment.

My situation isn't worth elaborating on simply because the purpose of this post is so much greater. So many sayings (including those mentioned above) sound great in theory, but what happens when your reality causes you to question them? You know that "God wouldn't put you through something that you can't handle," but is that always enough to get you by while you're going through things that seem too difficult to bear?

Here's my advice:

Hold your head up high and don't be ashamed. Be kind to yourself. If you have a hard time doing that, try some of these. Realize that regrets are to be expected, but not dwelled upon. If there is a person that can truly say that they have no regrets, then I pity them because they're a part of life. Mistakes are to be,both, made and corrected. However, it's unfortunate when past mistakes affect present or future happenings. This particular notion is what triggered this post. What do you do when you've done something so bad that it has the potential to negatively affect opportunities that follow? That's a question that I'd like to know the answer to. I know that one shouldn't attempt to hide whatever mistake was made. Proceed with honesty and claim your destiny. That's all I can think of because I can't imagine something coming back to haunt you if you've already admitted to it. I've learned that being honest is so much easier. To be honest, I have regrets. We all do. If I could go back in time I'd change a few things, but since I can't I'll strive to make sure that decisions I make in the future won't be the cause for other regrets.

Are there any regrets that you'd like to share? I understand if you think this is a bit too personal and opt not to share, but feel free to leave any comments you may have below.

Thanks for reading,

Alexandria B.

WhatAlexWrites and more...

2011-01-10T13:18:00.000-08:00

I wanted to title this post

"2011 IS MY OUR YEAR!"

I wanted to rant about my plans for success and encourage you to do the same, but I opted not to. Instead I will share the new direction of the blog and let you know what to expect in upcoming months. For starters, I plan to write more than I have in the past. This is because I'll have more time to do so since I'm approaching the completion of my undergraduate degree. I also wanted to let you know that career moves are in motion for me so I am extremely exicted.I managed to get two internships this month (one for the Brownstone Blog and the other for a well known news station). I also hope to get a new job soon so stay tuned for updates. I am also becoming pretty savvy in terms of social media (for others that is) so I've been tasked with helping a young business man spread the word about his production company. This life I live is getting pretty intense professionally so things are looking up.

I've realized that a lot of the opportunities that I currently have are the results of a lot of hard work and energy put into being successful. Is there something that you'd like to accomplish this year? Have you begun taking the necessary steps toward accomplishing that goal? If not, I'd suggest that you do something to get the ball rolling. Remember to remain positive and if your ball is already in motion, please feel free to share details with me in the comment section. Lastly, is there something that you'd like to see covered on WhatAlexWrites? I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks for reading,

Alexandria B.

Target needs to get it together!

2010-12-14T21:47:00.000-08:00

I went to my local Target this evening and had an interesting experience to say the least. Since it's December 14th, I made it my business to go purchase Tank's new album, Now or Never, and I was surprised to see that it was not on the shelves. I looked in the Rap and R&B section after noticing that the CD wasn't stocked with the new releases and it was not there either. The average consumer would have simply assumed that the CD was not in that particular store and left without it. Luckily, I'm not the typical consumer and I'm a Tank fan to the max so I decided to investigate the issue at hand.

I walked to the electronics department and the sales associate seemed eager to assist me. I politely asked, "Have you guys stocked your new releases yet?" And he replied "Yeah," so I followed up by asking him if they were done and he looked puzzled. I finally decided to stop beating around the bush and told him that Tank's CD was what I was looking for. He went to the back and promptly brought out a box and put it near the register. He hands me one Now or Never CD and turns to walk away. "Excuse me," I say. "I don't just want one. I want them on the shelf so other people can buy them too." He laughs, grabs a stack of the CDs and walks over to where the new releases are showcased. To make a long story short, I got my Tank CD and I made sure that others in Carson, California have the opportunity to do the same.

I wonder why Ciara's new CD, Basic Instinct, was on display along with Nicki Minaj, Avant and others while Tank's was boxed up in the back. The purpose of this post is to show how tough it is for musicians to make a living these days. If their albums aren't being leaked, they're not being sold in stores properly. I've been a Tank fan since the eighth grade when I would stay up late to watch the "Maybe I Deserve" video so it's no surprise that a person like me would go out of the way to purchase his album. But what about other people? They probably differ. It's so simple to click "download" on a computer and obtain new music these days so artists are forced to find other ways to make money. It's just sad.

I previously wrote an article/blog about whether or not an artist's amount of twitter followers measure their success and this outing at Target reminded me of it. As a fan of good music, I vow to actually go out and purchase albums to ensure that artists that I love stay relevant. Are there any artists that you'd make a sales associate at Target go check the back for? If so, please share in the comment section.

Thanks for reading,

Alexandria B.

I'm so grateful...

2010-12-11T23:56:00.000-08:00

Words cannot express my gratitude. Earlier today I was awarded the Larry McCormick Scholarship by the Black Journalists Association of Southern California. Not only did I get money that will enable me to finish my senior year with less financial stress, but I left more encouraged than ever before. As I sat at the scholarship banquet with my mother (who, might I add, was beyond proud) I began to reflect on my life.

Photos Courtesy: Xavier Higgs

I'm finally approaching my college graduation , but it has been a long, hard road. I have made my fair share of mistakes and I'm graduating way later than I had planned. All that aside, I manage to impress myself and others when I work diligently to achieve my goals. My list of goals is quite long, but my desires to eliminate some of my debt and make steps toward a career in journalism were met today and this excites me.

One of the most amazing parts about today was meeting the other students that were awarded scholarships as well. A majority of them attend prestigious universities and none of them were as "old" as I am. Instead of feeling inadequate, I appreciated the differences that existed and became more appreciative. Some of their schools provide them with greater resources and tools to succeed. Their schools more than likely disseminated information about the scholarships while students and faculty at my school had no clue that this opportunity existed. I was not there by chance. I was the only student from my school to apply and I was awarded a major scholarship. I'm so happy and proud of us all.

Another awesome moment that I'd like to share is the appearance of KTLA's, Michaela Pereira. Luckily, during the scholarship application process I was able to interview her along with a few other professional journalists but I never expected to meet her so soon. She came and spoke so kindly of me in reference to my quest for the interview and future in journalism. I was so happy and amazed that this woman that I watch on television each morning came to present my scholarship. I truly feel blessed.

The purpose of this post is not to brag or share photos from the event, but it is to inspire you to do what makes you happy. There are so many people that never accomplish their goals, and there are many others who never bother to set them. Do not be content with mediocrity. As far as I know, we only have one life so why waste it? Why complain all the time? Why hate your job when there is a way to find a new one? Why say that you "want to go back to school" when you can simply go enroll? It's important to want better for yourself but it's more important to do better for yourself.

With the new year approaching I'd like to give you a task. Instead of (or in addition to) setting a new year's resolution, write down three goals that you'd like to achieve in 2011. I've found that writing stuff down makes things a lot easier. Write these goals down and if they're not too personal, feel free to share them in the comment section or shoot me an email. I'd love to know how you plan to prosper.

If you're interested in seeing more photos and reading about the BJASC Scholarship Reception or the organization in general, click here.

Thanks for reading,

Alexandria B.

Do African Americans belong on prime-time television?

2010-11-05T12:28:00.000-07:00

I am so tired of writing race-related blog posts, but the news of NBC cancelling Boris Kodjoe's show "Undercovers" has sparked yet another fuse. I'll be the first to admit that I have never watched the aforementioned television program, but I now wish I did. I personally don't have time to watch television because I work full-time and attend school in the evening. More than likely, you didn't tune in either. What's your excuse?

"Undercovers" was refreshing to hear about. The show, led by not one, but TWO African American actors, was a good look for African Americans as a whole. The actors played positive roles as undercover agents as opposed to the typical roles given to actors in this particular ethnic group. Regardless, people did not tune in. I can't blame the public relations staff at NBC either because the show initially had great buzz. I heard about it via the radio, internet and I'm sure it had plenty of television promotion. I wonder why people failed to tune in. Is it because African Americans don't belong on prime-time television?

I ask this question while considering many other television shows with African American casts that have been cancelled. For example, "The Game" which was picked up by BET so luckily it will live to see another day. Also, "Everybody Hates Chris" and "Girlfriends" are among the other shows that viewers no longer have the option to view on major networks. The shows usually get shifted to air on an inconvenient day (Friday evening) and then cancelled soon after. Is it the time that these shows air that make it nearly impossible for viewers to tune in or are we simply uninterested in seeing minorities on prime-time television? If it's not "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" or "The Basketball Wives," are we not amused? Would we rather watch Ray J find love or Lala and Carmelo Anthony get married? This is not to say that there is anything wrong with reality television, but has it become the major source for African American entertainment? Sitcoms are definitely not filled with people that look similar to me and I wonder why. Casts are rarely diverse and that seems to be suitable for many people. I read this article about the cancellation of "Undercovers" and what may have led to it. I think that the writer makes some great points. Production costs may have been too expensive for the show, but there is definitely more to it. What can networks do to get viewers to tune in to these shows? In the event that African American actors get an opportunity to lead another prime-time television show anytime soon, what do you think can be done to prevent such prompt cancellation?
Thanks for reading. Be sure to post your thoughts.

Alexandria B.

Wise Individuals Revolutionizing Everything

2010-10-16T14:30:00.000-07:00

This shirt (pictured left) is a must-have item for me. It is beyond cute and I can already imagine myself wearing it. It's not often that I look at a person's clothing line and immediately want to purchase an item. I guess you can say that I'm one of those rare women that don't love to shop for clothing. Shoes? Now that's another story. Anyway, I came across this commercial that reminded me of myself so I just had to share.

I know that I'm one of many people that hate waking up early in the morning. My dream job is one that enables me to wake up late and work during the evening because I have no issue staying up late. Anyway, I've noticed that when I have a really cute outfit to wear or I wanna look pretty and put make-up on, it's much easier for me to get up in the morning. It's like I have much more energy when it's time to look cute. It's crazy how that works.

Below you'll be able to peep the commercial that I'm so eager to share. It's for W.I.R.E., a clothing line that does more than provide cute clothing. Many of the items that W.I.R.E. offers are both inspirational and stylish. I could see guys that I know wearing these shirts and I especially love the message that the company send to us consumers. Without further ado, here is the darn commercial!

Wasn't that an awesome commercial? In my opinion, a handsome guy with muscles and a pretty smile is the perfect way to market any product! LoL.. Seriously though, go to Get-Tapped-In.com to find out more about W.I.R.E. and click here to shop for their clothing.

The Four Types of Friends...

2010-10-06T16:59:00.000-07:00

I've noticed that most of my blog posts are a bit serious in nature so now is the time that I write about something a little more fun. This past weekend I was home alone most of the time and when Sunday was coming to an end I thought to myself, "I need more friends." It's no surprise that it's much more difficult for females to become and remain friends than it is for males. It's a sad but obvious fact. The friends that I do have, I do not see that often. This could be because I'm not the most social of people and I'm content laying in my bed on a Friday night while doing nothing. In fact, napping is my favorite pastime. When there is an event that I'd like to attend, it's fairly simple for me to decide which friend I'd like to bring along because I've managed to categorize my small group of friends. Below you'll see my list of the four types of friends that one may have.

1. The Best Friend - A best friend is typically a person that you've known for many years. This person knows all about you and vice versa. The two of you have fun doing numerous things together. You would do anything for this person and they are like family. A person that has more than three "best friends" likely overuses the term or is extremely friendly.

2. The Multi-Purpose Friend - This friend is the friend that can go anywhere and likes to do anything with you. Whether at a restaurant or a concert, you and this friend are bound to have a good time. Multi-purpose friends are like the perfect pair of black pumps. They can be worn to work or the club. I'm not saying that you can wear your friends, but I'm sure you get my drift. These types of friends are fun to be around and the difference between them and a best friend is likely the amount of time that you've known them.

3. The Acquaintance - An acquaintance is the most common of all friend types. This person is nice and fun to be around, but you do not see them that often. You've either become acquainted through a mutual friend, school, or some other random activity. Acquaintances are the most likely to annoy you seeing as though they do not know you very well. It is best to hang out with acquaintances sporadically until the two of you know each other better. In some instances an acquaintance can become a multi-purpose friend.

4. The Socialite - Lastly, the socialite/ party-goer is the friend that is only useful at clubs or other high-energy social events. This person enjoys partying more than most people and unfortunately they're not good for much else. This type of friend does not typically engage themself in intellectual conversations and their knowledge doesn't extend beyond the club or the opposite sex. The advantage to this type of friend is that they ALWAYS know what fun events are happening.

Please remember that these are just my thoughts. There may be more types or perhaps fewer. Do you agree with what you see above? Is there something that my list is missing?

Why so many Black women are single...

2010-10-01T16:58:00.000-07:00

I,like many others, am sick of hearing people discuss why they think the majority of Black women are single. The video above is of rapper, Nelly chiming in on why he thinks many women are single. He makes a great point when he states that some women pass on good guys because they don't look like "the perfect guy." I'm guilty of this. For example, I have sworn off short guys. Imagine that! I'm only 5'3 and I have the nerve to be picky about height. A friend and I were discussing this recently and she has a long list of deal breakers. She has been single for a while might I add. On the other hand, I know plenty of women who are no where close to getting married, but engage in aimless activities with subpar men for the sake of not being alone. I don't know about you, but I'd much rather be single.

Anyway, the purpose of this post is to ask you a question. Do you think many women are too picky? Should we have to settle for the men that are available as opposed to waiting for "Mr.Right" when we're not even sure he exists? I'm totally stumped when it comes to this topic so what are your thoughts?

"This Time"

2010-09-27T15:24:00.000-07:00

I never thought I'd post a 15 minute video on my blog and actually expect people to watch it. Better yet, I never thought I'd be this moved by a YouTube clip. So I'm posting it and you'd be a fool not to watch. Below you'll see director Matthew Cherry's latest work of art, a short film that was written by actress Reagan Gomez-Preston. "This Time" stars Reagan Gomez, Michael Moss and Terri J. Vaughn. It's a moving film and a love story that pays tribute to the men and women who have given their lives to protect our country. It's sad so if you're anything like me, have tissue handy near the end. I hope you enjoy and feel free to comment below.

To find out more about Matthew A. Cherry, click here.

Download Jojo's Mixtape

2010-09-08T14:20:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting patiently for some new music from one of my favorite singers. I'm a huge Jojo fan so it's only right for me to share info about her new mixtape, Can't Take That Away From Me. I'll be honest and say that quite a few of the tracks will have to grown on me. I've decided to share "Just A Dream" since it ties for my favorite so far. The other song that I'm in love with is "Boy Without a Heart" because it showcases her vocals brilliantly. If you'd like to get your free download of the entire mixtape, click here.

<a href="http://rap-up.bandcamp.com/track/just-a-dream">Just a Dream by JoJo</a>

I AM NOT GAY!

2010-09-06T09:11:00.000-07:00

Hello there. I just wanted to go ahead and thank those of you that take the time out to read my posts and have subscribed to this blog. I appreciate it more than you know. An old friend from high school happened to find me because of the site so I'm extremely excited about that as well. Oh and do you see my new headshot that was taken by Stella Simona? I love it. Now let me get to the topic at hand. I am a very opinionated person. If I feel some type of way about an issue, I will give my opinion as long as I am not being rude about it. I rarely feel the need to "go off" on people, but this Saturday I was tempted to do so. After helping a non-business man with his event, I happened to meet a very obnoxious short guy that I have had previous conversation with via a BlackBerry Messenger group. I repeat, BlackBerry Messenger. This means that I had never once heard this man's voice yet I already felt a sense of disdain for him because his participation in those group conversations was nothing more than ignorance. Anyway the conversation was simple at first but somehow escalated to him putting his hands in my face and physically touching my hand. Ummmmm. Excuse me?

I don't like when people do either of those things especially when the person is a male. The non-business man decided that he should jump in and help the situation by questioning why we were arguing. I simply let him know that the other guy's hands had no business on me or in my face. He then decides to call me sensitive, uptight, and too reserved among other words that led those surrounding us to think that I was a prude. This immediately reminded me of earlier that evening when the non-business man got behind me and danced. I not only asked him to move, but I had a disgusted look on my face. Call me crazy, but I am uninterested in dancing with people that I'm not attracted to. Nor do I like people dancing behind me in a sexual manner. It's just not my cup of tea. Wait, I just got sidetracked, allow me to get back to the story. After the non-business man told everyone that I was too reserved, he made a bold statement. "I don't even think Alex likes men." He didn't get the response that he was looking for so he decided to repeat himself numerous times. Needless to say, I was utterly annoyed by both of these fools.

Seriously, just because a woman doesn't like a guy does that give him the right to question her sexuality? I didn't decide to write this post based off this one event. I have been called gay or had my sexuality questioned on numerous occasions. I can truthfully say that I am reserved and what some may call a prude, but I have never once been attracted to a woman. There is nothing wrong with being homosexual, don't get me wrong. But I am sick and tired of lame men trying to validate themselves by speaking negatively about others. Dear non-business man, a female is not gay simply because she is not interested in you and your antics. Get it together!

What are your thoughts? Has something like this ever happened to you?

Thanks for reading,

Alexandria B.

What T.I. and Tiny's arrest says about Black people...

2010-09-02T09:51:00.000-07:00

Last night, rapper T.I. and his wife Tameka "Tiny" Cottle were arrested in Hollywood for possession of a controlled substance. The newlyweds were released soon after on$10,000 bail. Yes, this man is a star AND executive producer of the number one movie in the country. Yes, this man got out of jail less than a year ago. And yes, this man is currently on probation. No one knew exactly what controlled substance was found in the vehicle, but TMZ just reported that it was a small amount of ecstasy after previously speculating that they were sipping codeine. Whatever they had, it's a shame that they possessed any kind of drugs when T.I. has had numerous run-ins with the law. Watching this story unfold has shown me three things about Black people:

1. HOOD PEOPLE DO HOOD THINGS - As the saying goes, "You can take the boy out the hood, but you can't take the hood out the boy." I couldn't agree more. Let's just assume that the ecstasy belonged to someone other than T.I. for there were more than two people in the car. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt. But the cops also smelled weed when they were pulled over. Let's say T.I. was not smoking. Why would one allow a scene like this to play out knowing you are on probation? I would never let anyone smoke in my car. Besides, T.I. obviously possessed something if he was taken into custody. I hope that it was not enough to land him back in jail. So back to my point, T.I. has a past that shows why he would allow such shenanigans. Early album titles such as "Trap Muzik" indicate that he is no stranger to drugs. No matter how much money or success a person from "the hood" gets, he or she may still do hood-like things.

2. WE CARE MORE ABOUT CELEBRITY GOSSIP THAN IMPORTANT CURRENT EVENTS - Many popular blogs that are geared toward minorities posted information about recent events such as Barack Obama ending the war in Iraq and the recent shooting at the Discovery Channel's headquarters, but these stories received fewer comments than gossip filled ones. This morning alone there were over one hundred comments on the T.I./Tiny arrest story at NecoleBitchie.com.

3. WE'RE NOSEY, WE MAKE IGNORANT JOKES ABOUT OTHERS AND FEED OFF NEGATIVITY- While some people on blog comments glorified Tiny being a "ride-or-die chick" others joked that T.I. needs to use drugs to deal with her appearance. So many people co-signed on the latter and made other ignorant and rude jokes. There were also individuals that expressed concern for the couple's children. Granted, they are not setting good examples for them but when did it become our responsibility to place judgement on others? Why are we so concerned with their lives anyway? I've also seen numerous tweets and facebook statuses about their arrest. If the general public minded their own business I wonder how different things would be. Hmmmm.

This post is just to show that I think that Black people, people in general actually, need to reevaluate what's important. Is it T.I's legal issues, Tiny's appearance, or political happenings that may actually affect you? Regardless of whether or not he goes back to jail, he'll still have more money than most people who are so determined to make jokes or give their opinions about his situation. What are your thoughts?

Thanks for reading,

Alexandria B.

What Do You Deserve?

2010-08-22T11:47:00.000-07:00

This post will be short. I have so many things that I'd like to write about but I will opt not to do so because at this point they seem like complaints. I am making a conscious effort to stop complaining so wish me luck. I did, however, want to touch on something that I think is extremely important. How many of us live lives that we want to change? How many of us want more than what we have now? How many of us know that we deserve so much more? I'm assuming that most of us have these thoughts but I question whether or not we're working hard enough to get what we think we deserve.

Yesterday I went jogging/walking with a friend and I must say that I worked out more than my legs. My brain probably had the biggest work out of all my muscles. We were walking in the View Park area of Los Angeles and there were plenty of beautiful houses along the trail. She and I began acting like children and picking and choosing which houses were ours while imagining our families living there. It may sound silly, but it was a huge eye opener. How many people played this type of game as children, but grew up and never got to see the house of our dreams? How many of us are settling? In all of my daydreaming yesterday, I never once imagined myself in one of these nice homes by myself. I kept mentioning my imaginary husband and future kid(s). That's how life is supposed to be. You know, the praiseworthy American Dream that was once sought after? Why have so many people given up on it and decided to have multiple children out of wedlock? Why do we want more for ourselves, but do nothing to get it? These are questions that I do not have the answer to. I do not expect you to know the answer either but ponder if you will.

I have a couple of questions that you should know the answer to. What do you deserve? What are you doing to get it? I hope you have started to work toward what you desire as opposed to sitting around dreaming about it. I will do all that is within my power to accomplish, both, my career and personal goals. There is no doubt in my mind that I will be a reporter. I want and deserve a nuclear family that lives in a house like the ones we saw yesterday. Remember, there is one difference between us and the people who have the things we want. They figured out a way to get it. I challenge you to develop a plan. Set some goals and feel free to share them with me. Let's get to work people!

Thanks for reading,

Alexandria B.

The Bad Girls Club?

2010-08-13T12:23:00.000-07:00

The new season of the popular Oxygen show, The Bad Girls Club, recently premiered and had extremely high ratings according to my facebook news feed. I am unsure what season this is for the television series, but I'm getting annoyed with its concept. The idea of bringing a group of "bad" women to live together and do nothing but argue, fuss and fight is ridiculous. The sad part is that many of us find it entertaining.

I don't have cable or very much interest in the show so I can't be expected to have all these facts straight, but I'd like to briefly share my views based on what I saw from watching bits and pieces of the first two episodes. As a Los Angeles native, I am offended that there is a ratchet stripper from Inglewood (pictured bottom right) that was chosen to represent the West Coast. I also don't understand what the purpose of this show is nor is it clear why so many people love it. So I'm writing to get your opinion while giving mine simultaneously.

This show is a mess. These females packed up the belongings of one of the cast members because they "didn't like her vibe" or in other words she looked better than them. They fist fought within the first 24 hours. They practiced stripper moves during times of leisure. They pranced around the house in panties all day and called one another profane names. I'm amazed that in order to entertain our society, the only thing necessary is dramatic reality shows. Granted, these women don't represent us all so I will not touch on how I think they are a poor representation of women as a whole. They are seemingly doing nothing with their lives beforehand and then they gather in a mansion for a few months to do nothing but party, fight and fornicate.

People actually look forward to seeing this show each week and I want to know why. How is this entertainment? Please don't be ashamed if you like the show but instead tell me what's so intriguing about it.

Thanks for reading,

Alexandria B.

How Important is Sex?

2010-08-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

Below you can watch the latest episode of The Business Report. In this particular video we discuss the importance of sex in today's relationships. Andrea and I had totally different opinions on this topic. She thinks that sex is extremely important and I happen to disagree. In my opinion, sex should not be the focus of any relationship or it is destined to fail. After speaking with a couple of male friends who had great outlooks, I decided to write this post. I have a great female following on this blog so your input is requested as well. Please watch the video below and then read on for the perspectives of a few friends of mine.

So did you enjoy the episode? I sure hope so... After the video was posted, we got a lot of positive feedback and people were eager to share their opinions. One guy wrote the following message to me:

"Sex is important to me, but only if I'm in a relationship. I became celibate last year because I wanted to have a better understanding of what I truly want in a woman, and how much I truly value sex. Casual sex just didn't do it for me. The best sex I had was when i had a strong connection to the girl and just one touch would make her tremble, this is not because I'm that dope in bed but its because the attraction was completely beyond the physical. When done right, it can only magnify how you feel about a person for the better but most times it DOES complicate things where both people aren't on the same page."

All I could say was "wow" in response. I wish more men thought this way. Society encourages promiscuous sexual activity. Musicians sell it to us and we buy it in abundance. So how can we expect people to not think sex is important in relationships? I wish more people would pay attention to what's important as opposed to what we see and hear in the media. Another response I received was from a gentleman that I happen to have a crush on (LoL) and he simply stated he knew that relationships could never work with women who tried to jump his bones early in the relationship. He also went on to say the the larger the focus on sex is in a relationship, the less time it will last. I totally agree. People get bored and cheat for the purpose of finding sexual satisfaction so an emotional connection is necessary.

This topic is so multifaceted and can be looked at from multiple angles. To sum it all up, I still rate the importance of sex in relationships a 3 and I know that the only way that a positive bond can be formed is with the absence of sex for a prolonged period of time. This way, you'll know that you truly care for the person and sex will just be an added bonus.

Thanks for reading,

Alexandria B.

Racism on the news too? Wow.

2010-07-30T12:27:00.000-07:00

I am convinced that racism is still alive and very prevalent after seeing this video.

It bothers me that this particular station decided to air this story and edited the clip so that the most ignorant portions could be seen. The media took this story and ran with it so now the story is all over the world wide web. This is how some Black people are, but it is very common for people to consider this a representation of MOST Black people. Stay tuned for videos about topics similar to this from our YouTube channel. We're currently dealing with a topic that questions why Black men desire non-Black women, but it's likely to expand.

What are your thoughts? Am I just tripping or is this news clip really ridiculous?

Why Black Men Don't Desire Black Women...

2010-07-19T11:42:00.000-07:00

I honestly feel like I'm beating a dead horse. We've heard countless times about the overwhelmingly high percentage of Black women that are single. The suggestion that Black women date other races in order to find love indicates that Black women need to stop being so close-minded and venture out just as Black men have. I've heard that Black women need to change their perspective on dating and not be so picky. These suggestions each require that Black women do something different.

This past weekend, my friend Andrea and I started a YouTube account and recorded a few videos. The main topic of discussion was wealthy Black men and their decision to date non-Black women. Allow me to first state that I have no problem with interracial dating, but this trend is beginning to annoy me. Wealthy, or shall I say financially stable, Black men seem to keep settling down or developing romantic relationships with women that look nothing like their mothers. White and "exotic" looking women are all the rave and I am beginning to wonder why. In an effort to keep the length of this post down, I'll just state that many Black men in the entertainment industry choose to date outside their race and as a Black woman, I am offended. When I post the video you'll be able to get more details and our opinions on this issue.

This post is not meant to focus on the famous Black men that date outside their race, I want to highlight a young man that I know who just recently graduated from high school. For the purpose of confidentiality, I will refer to him as "R" for the duration of this post. I was chatting with R on skype and I mentioned the aforementioned topic. He instantly replied "Well, we want women with natural beauty." I was immediately confused as to what he meant so I asked him to elaborate and he continued "When they wake up in the morning, they are ready to go. They don't need no 24 inch weave..." He also went on to mention that Black women have too much attitude and are too controlling. I then asked if he preferred a submissive woman or someone that he could control and he replied "No, I just don't want someone that thinks she can control me."

If R is barely 18 years old and he has developed a preference, what is really going on? Is society teaching us that Black women aren't naturally beautiful? Do we really need weaves to compete with other women or do we just wear them to please ourselves? Do Black women really try to control their men? If so, are we taught by our mothers to do so? Are Black women single not only because Black men are either dead or in jail, but because these men are choosing not to date them? If Black women were to date outside their race, would this solve the problem? I have so many questions, but I'll stop there. Please feel free to comment and give your opinion on this topic.

Thanks for reading,

Alexandria B.

Ciara, Ciara... WTF?

2010-07-12T09:45:00.000-07:00

Anybody who knows me knows that I don't typically indulge in celebrity gossip. There are enough blogs that do just that, but lately there's one particular celebrity that has been getting on my nerves. That celebrity is none other than Miss Ride-it herself, Ciara. That nasty song itself was the start to my issues with the direction of Ciara's career. Her goal is to make a musical comeback and sell records yet it seems like the only items that she's putting up for sale are the "goodies" that she once told us were unattainable. The video for "Ride" was banned by BET, Ciara hasn't hat a hit record since I can remember and this new album is set to be released next month. I predict a flop for the simple fact that women make of the majority of consumers that purchase R&B records and any woman that wants to drive her car singing "He loves the way I riiiiide it..." is a hot mess. No offense if you are seriously feeling that song. Riding the beat like a freak is fine, but it's not something I choose to do.

Enough of that ridiculous song, my latest upset stems from Ciara's choice of wardrobe at Lala and Carmelo Anthony's wedding this past weekend. This fool had on a short, tight mini dress showing off ALL of her legs. Everybody knows that Ciara has an amazing body and I applaud that, but at a wedding though? Seriously, she is outta her mind for that one. If I was Lala, Ciara would have been politely escorted to the nearest exit for wearing a freak'um dress to come witness my holy matrimony. I hope and pray that she only wore this dress to enter the building and was actually IN the wedding and changed into something more modest for the ceremony. I find her dress extremely disrespectful to the bride and anyone who doesn't agree with me is crazy. I am in no way a "hater" nor am I a Ciara fan, but I hope that her team comes up with something other than sex appeal to make her music career one that can be deemed successful. Let me know your thoughts. Do you think Ciara going to be a success with the release of her next album? Was her dress (pictured below)appropriate for a wedding?

Thanks for reading,

Alexandria B.

I'm inspired...

2010-07-06T13:28:00.000-07:00

I am not a sports fan and have never claimed to be one. When it comes to watching sports, my motto is "If it doesn't benefit me or make me any money, why would I waste countless hours doing it?" With this in mind, I don't keep track of what's going on in the world of basketball. Even though I distance myself from sports, I can't help but hear stories about Lebron James being a free agent, that stuff with his mom and teammate, and lastly, his lack of a championship ring. I've heard many compare him to Kobe and many think he's a better player. Quite frankly, I think that both of them are ridiculously overpaid and with or without a ring, Lebron is ballin' both literally and figuratively. The purpose of this post is because I was watching BET over at my mom's house this weekend and they aired More Than A Game, a movie that basically shows how Lebron James made it to the NBA documenting the growth of a group of Basketball playing friends from grade school all the way to multiple stellar high school seasons. After watching the film, I was extremely proud of Lebron even though I don't know him at all. In fact, I was proud of the entire team especially the African American young men that considered themselves the "Fab Five." One teammate in particular was my favorite and his name is Dru Joyce III (pictured center). Dru's father coached the group of guys from childhood (all except one named Romeo Travis who appeared during their Sophomore year in high school). With his father as the coach, one can only imagine the extra pressure that this must have caused him. Dru not only faced this battle, he also dealt with the fact that he was smaller than most of his peers.

This post is getting lengthy so I'll get to the point where I became instantly inspired. In middle school Dru Joyce III was approximately 4'11 while his teammates had already began to undergo puberty. Dru came off the bench during a game when his team was trailing and the crowd immediately began to laugh at the thought of this skinny little boy being put in the game. If that were me I would have been extremely embarrassed and hurt to the point where my performance would have been poor. Luckily, Dru is nothing like me. Coming into this particular game he ended up shooting about seven three-pointers almost back-to-back and the crowd began to roar. This one part of the movie stands out to me. I don't know if it's because I'm skinny or if it's because of the drive and dedication that this young man possessed. It's probably the latter. To make a long story short, at the end of the film the member of the Fab Five accomplished their goal of becoming national champions after a couple of disappointments and numerous wins. Their success speaks volumes. I deem it important for you and I to set goals and work diligently to accomplish them as opposed to sitting around wishing we could become successful. Granted, we may never become national champions or go the the NBA but hey... There's room for us all to be successful in our own right. One may look at the film in question and say that seeing as though Lebron James is the only one who went to the NBA, he was the only successful team member. This couldn't be more wrong. If I read the information at the end correctly, two of the men play basketball professionally overseas and another one played football in college. They are each successful in their own right.

Don't sue me if I have these facts wrong because like I said previously, I am not a basketball fan. I just really enjoyed this film and the story behind it. Who would have imagined that a group of young men from a small city would be so successful on a national scale? Have you seen the film? If you haven't seen it, I suggest that you do so. What goals would you like to accomplish? Have you started working toward them? Oh and if you see Dru, tell him he has a fan! LoL

Thanks for reading,

Alexandria B.

When bashfulness is no longer cute...

2010-06-23T09:40:00.000-07:00

I can recall being a shy kid that rarely spoke unless spoken to. My teachers loved me for this attribute so I was always the child selected to win prizes and whenever we had a substitute, I was labeled as "well-behaved." But I've recently come to realize that I wasn't as well-behaved as I was quiet. I wasn't quiet because I was a quiet person, I was quiet because I was too shy to speak. To others, it was cute that I wasn't adamant about getting my point across as a child. I was content just sitting in class and doing my work. I'd prefer to save my questions to ask the teacher in private. They never seemed to mind. My shyness helped me get away with a lot of things, but it also prohibited me from getting as involved in many interesting school activities. With this as the case, I attempted to alter my shy trait during my last couple years of high school. I did this because I began to realize that closed mouths didn't get fed. If I wanted to "be somebody" others had to know my intentions. I had improved so much by the time I entered college that I was able to persuade people to vote for me and I became Freshman Class President of Texas Southern University. I've since gotten involved in many other activities that show that I am no longer that shy, quiet girl that I once was. Unfortunately, my new found confidence hasn't made it's way to my social life. I still find myself being quiet in public settings that don't involve my education or employment. Don't dare ask me how this affects my dating life. It's ridiculous how difficult it is for me to approach my crush. At my age, should I still be crushing? I mean, one should get to a point where they're comfortable letting another know that they have taken interest in them and would like to pursue a relationship or whatever. However, I can't see myself doing this anytime soon...

The purpose of this post is to get your thoughts on the issue at hand. Is it cute for a person to be shy? Or is it a turnoff? When you reach a certain age, it's crucial to be able to express your thoughts. But at what point does being mouthy become too much? Is there a difference when considering bashfulness between males and females? Is there a fine line between being meek and downright insecure? Being shy can be classified as a "cute" trait for a young child, but when is it no longer cute?

Thanks for reading,

Alexandria B.

What You Know About Sammie?

2010-06-22T13:54:00.000-07:00

Hey there,

It's been a while since I had a real post. What better a topic to come back with than one of my favorite male R&B artists, Sammie. I swear I've been in like with this guy since the sixth grade when he came to sing at my school. It was at that moment that I started calling myself Alexandria Bush. I've grown up since then and my infatuation with Sammie and B2K has died down. I must admit, I don't follow him on twitter simply because I don't tweet enough to actually stay informed anyway. However, I decided to do a YouTube search on Sammie yesterday after I couldn't stop singing lyrics from "Crazy Things I Do" and I found more than just old videos. Not only does he have current videos on YouTube, but Sammie has an up-to-date webpage and a mixtape out. Of course, I had to download it and I gave it a listen before I decided to write/blog about this man. Although It's Just A Mixtape is a mixtape, it's totally worth downloading and songs like "B Word" and "Phone" are among my favorites. Sammie has writing credits on each song on the mixtape which is pretty impressive especially considering the fact that he does a bit of rapping this go round. This is my first time hearing from him since his 2006 album, Sammie, which featured the hit single "You Should Be My Girl".

Sammie has come a long way from liking the way a pre-teen girl looks at him. He's an adult now and I'm hoping that this mixtape gets him the recognition that he deserves. It's sad that artists like Chris Brown and Sammie (among others) are providing music to fans via free mixtapes as opposed to selling albums that eventually go platinum. I wonder if the music industry will ever be the same. If I knew how to sing, I lowkey wouldn't even want a deal because it seems so hard to make it. Moving on, do me a favor and visit Sammie's website in order to find out the latest news. Also, be sure to download the mixtape by clicking here. You can also follow him on twitter to get your daily dose of this R&B superstar.

Thanks for reading,

Alexandria B.

All I want for my birthday is...

2010-06-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

My birthday is in two days and I know I won't be receiving this from anyone, but it doesn't hurt to dream, right? In my mind, a MacBook Pro is the answer to all my problems. For one, it would enable me to illegally download music without the fear of a computer-killing virus. Secondly, I would be able to get photoshop (for free hopefully) and edit images and all that good stuff. I would also be able to record videos, have the cool camera features, a lightened keyboard for when I'm typing at night, etc. Lowkey, the garage band will enable me to record songs even though I can't sing. Lastly, I would just feel cool. So if you or anybody you know is thinking about getting me a gift, make it monetary so it can go to the GetAlexTheMacBook Foundation.

Thanks,

Alexandria B.

UPDATES COMING SOON...

2010-06-14T15:44:00.000-07:00

Hey Now!!!!

It's been a while since I last posted. I currently have loads of work to do so this won't be long, but I just wanted to check in briefly. My 23rd birthday is in five days and I still have no dress to wear. My "All Black Everything" dinner party has been planned and I'm stoked. I've had the desire to write about numerous things including the BP oil spill and Slim Thug's recent controversial comments about dating black women. However, I have not had the time. You can trust and believe that when I return I will do so with a bang. I'd love for this blog to provoke debate and/or dialogue about important issues. You may notice that the site looks a bit different. I called myself "updating" things all by myself, but I may have to phone-a-friend for further assistance because I'd like for the site to look way better. I took pictures with a photographer named Michael Santana to celebrate my upcoming birthday and I got a few really great shots. I'm sure my future site will include his photos. In the meantime, feast your eyes on one of them (below)!

Until next time...

Smooches,

Alexandria B.

Eighteen Days Til My Bday...

2010-06-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that it's already June. This year is flying right on by and in a little more than two weeks, I'll be 23 years old. Where have the years gone? I used to sit back and complain about how I was not yet where I wanted to be in life on my birthdays, but this birthday will be different. If you look to the left, you'll see a photo of me from my birthday celebration at a lounge in Downtown Los Angeles. It was a small celebration with no more than like 8 people and I enjoyed myself. I'm hoping that this year is different though. It would be nice to celebrate with a few more people and do something cool. It was ridicuous how many people said they'd attend, but didn't. It was also a shame how people thought it was ok to show up extremely late to the dinner portion of my birthday celebration. I don't have many friends, this is true. But the ones I do have are cherished. I hope to have an exciting 23rd birthday with them.

Now that the birthday is near, I have to figure out what to do. Should I keep it simple and have a dinner party? I thought it would be cool to suggest that the attendees wear white & black to the fiesta. Good idea huh? Or should I do something else? I'm open to ideas. Holler back at a player as soon as you can! Oh yeah, getting one year older encourages me to work a little bit harder to reach my goals, but I'm finding that the more I work the less I know what I want in life. I'll be praying for clarity and overall happiness. I know that I am not meant to wake up every morning to come perform the work that I am responsible for. There's gotta be more out there. Woo woo woo. Back to the birthday, I want invitations to go out asap. Do you think I should take cool professional photos for my birthday? It'll be solely for my entertainment and a facebook album maybe. Nothing too fancy.

Thanks for reading,

Alex

I LOVE CHRIS BROWN!

2010-05-16T14:02:00.000-07:00

Since his 2009 mishap, Chris Brown has struggled to regain popularity and has faced an extreme amount of adversity. Before the incident I had no idea how huge of a Chris Brown fan I was. I found myself debating with my co-workers in an effort to defend the 21-year-old R&B singer. Anyway, in an effort not to beat a dead horse I'll get to the point of this post. I purchased his latest album and fell in love with the song, "I'll Go" and was super impressed with his In My Zone mixtape. Man, I swear "Madusa" was written for me, lol. I really hope that people come around and realize that this young man is talented and deserves a second chance. Too many people pass judgement on others without thinking about the harm that could cause. Just think, he's barely old enough to drink yet he was convicted of a felony offense. I mean, I've told plenty of people that I was going to kill them and I didn't have to do community service or be publicly ridiculed for it. Let's be fair and recognize his potential. See below for a short clip of a Haiti relief benefit concert that he headlined in Virginia yesterday. His dancing is amazing and be sure to peep his Dougie...

MTV Shows

Do you love Chris Brown as much as I do? What's your favorite Chris Brown song? What are your thoughts on the future of his career?

Naturally Beautiful...

2010-05-12T15:57:00.000-07:00

It's not often that we read about Janelle Monae or hear her her music on the radio. Why? Perhaps because she chooses to wear tuxedos as opposed to bikinis in her photoshoots. Or maybe because she's just too different. Whatever the case, I thought I'd do a brief write-up while I'm supposed to be hard at work. It seems like females must be naked with their behinds out to get a little recognition in this world. It's just sad. I don't mean to single out Ciara, but that "Ride" video is extremely sexual. And while her body is amazing, is all that necessary? What is she trying to accomplish? I'm not so sure that any musical talent exists in that video at all. Whatever,I'm just one person. What does my opinion matter? I just wanted to highlight the beauty that exists in artists like Janelle Monae and Algebra Blessett. This is beauty that is rarely ever seen because money is put into promoting sexual, depthless projects. It's just sad.

Now the reason I decided to title this post "Naturally Beautiful" is because of the hairstyles that these ladies choose to rock. I've yet to see Janelle or Algebra sporting a lacefront wig or looking superficial. These women are the epitome of genuine in my opinion. I like that. I choose to wear my hair natural as well. Be on the lookout for a natural hair care post in the near future. Don't get me wrong, I'll wear a weave in an effort to maintain my natual hair with no problem. There's nothing wrong with weaves or wigs, but the problem is with how fake you have to look to be "cute" these days. The problem is how people find it hard to see the beauty in their natural hair textures so they spend time and money damaging it. It amazes me. I'm rambling. I love this topic. What are your thoughts though? Am I crazy or to natural-haired beauties get no love in the music industry? And is it just me or do people with natural hair tend to make better music? LoL.

Anyway, if you'd like to find more information about these women feel free to click either of the links below:
Janelle's Official Website or Algebra's MySpace page

ALL I DO IS WIN!

2010-05-06T07:32:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I attended the Communications Department banquet that was hosted at my university. Unfortunately, I caught a bad case of pink eye so I almost didn't go but that's a long story... I definitely had to go because I had previously decided that it was wise for me to apply for two scholarships that would be awarded at the event. One of the scholarships asked that students write a letter to the department chair about the hardships and obstacles faced throughout the process of them trying to attain a degree. The other asked for a little more than a letter, it asked for a resume and letter of recommendation too. This scholarship is in memory of a professor that passed away two years ago, the Donn E. Silvis Memorial Award. As you can see, that award was given to me. Professor Silvis is described to be an exceptional educator and a major reason why our department exists as it does today. With this as the case, I am extremely proud to be the second recipient of this award.

To be honest, I was not expecting to win either award much less the award that required the resume that includes work, school involvement and volunteer experience. I definitely work 40 hours per week and I have done my share of volunteer work, but my involvement at this new school has been minimal for most of my classes are during the evening and I work throughout the day. I explained my lack of school involvement in my personal statement and I am glad that it helped me get this scholarship. Now I didn't decide to post this to brag about getting a scholarship... I wanted to share my thoughts on how we are usually the first to doubt ourselves. I am happy that I decided to not listen to my first mind and instead applied for these scholarships. I am happy that the family of the late Professor Silvis saw my potential and chose me to receive this award. I now encourage you to try something that you've never tried before and I'm sure the results will surprise you. I'm living proof.

Is there something you've always wanted to try, but been afraid of failure? Do tell...

Why Do Men Cheat?

2010-04-20T12:20:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted a blog in a while. I ran across this interesting list of reasons as to why men cheat on MrsGrapevine.com and I just wanted to share it with you. Allow me to first state one fact: it's not my intention to seem like a man-basher. If you refer to previous posts, you may begin to think that I am... LoL... Back to the issue at hand, the above mentioned list includes some hilarious and seemingly honest reasons for cheating written by actual men. That's right, MEN. So this list isn't full of speculation, they're real reasons. I'll list my two favorite reasons from the list and viewing the rest is up to you.

“It’s nature and nurture. In these days it has a lot to do with nature. Everywhere you look, whether it is music, television, or politics- there is always sex. Damn near every song that’s out, whether it’s singing or rapping, it’s talking about sex with multiple women.”

The above quoted reason couldn't be more true, in my opinion. It was just earlier today when I was bobbing my head to The Dream's new song that mentions his attraction to multiple women. I can't lie, the song goes hard and is likely to be popular in clubs in upcoming months. But why? Why is it suitable for songs to be about sleeping with another man's woman? Why are we tooting it and booting it every chance we get? It's just sad, but we can't blame it all on the media. People are capable of making their own decisions and life should not be based on your favorite song. My favorite reason from the list is shown below:

"...men cheat cause they WANT TO. Period.”

It's all about choices. If you choose to be in a relationship, you should choose to be faithful. If you can't be faithful, why waste another person's time? I know that this post is specifically about why men cheat, but women cheat too. I think we tend to focus on the wrongdoings of males because women are more emotional thus the impact of cheating is more severe in most cases. My blogs are usually me asking questions, I'm in no way fit to give relationship advice. I have no idea why men, or people in general, cheat. Do you? If so, let me know in the comment section... Thanks for reading!

SOCIAL NETWORKING PROBABLY RULES YOUR LIFE!

2010-04-12T13:25:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader,

I, like many others, have accounts on multiple social networking sites. I'm talking Twitter, MySpace and Facebook. Granted, I haven't logged into MySpace in ages, but the fact the the page exists proves that at one point, I gave valuable time to the site. These days twitter is all too popular and you'll frequently see #BlahBlahBlah or @Something and it's the norm. Facebook is by far my favorite social networking site though. It allows me to keep in contact with people from my past, promote events and my blog, and be nosey at any given time.

I recently noticed that when I pick up my phone, the first thing I do is go to Facebook or twitter. Am I alone or do others do this too? When I noticed this, I immediately began to make a change. Why is it that we're concerned with what others are doing? Why do we waste valuable time reading and commenting on Facebook statuses? These questions may never be given answers, but I just want you to ask them to yourself. If you don't know at least three current events, but you're updating your status every two minutes then I suggest you reevaluate your life. This blog won't be long because my computer's battery is low. But I had to write because I am concerned with our current state. We're so busy participating in trending topics and tweeting nonsense, yet we know nothing about the world. I encourage you to start reading a new book or get a hobby. Do something other than socially network all day because that does nothing to benefit you as a person. That is all.

What are your thoughts? If you agree or disagree, feel free to let me know. Feedback is always encouraged. Thanks for reading!

Sincerely,

Alexandria B.

Product Placement Like Whoa!!!

2010-04-12T13:00:00.000-07:00

I'm a little late in posting this video for Dondria's "You're the One" single but hey... I've been in love with the song for months and I really hope that her album sales are where they need to be for her to be able to release a second one. I first saw Dondria on YouTube years ago and if you go check out her old videos, you'll see that her appearance has changed a lot over time. She's super gorgeous in the video below and I'm loving the glamorous image that SoSoDef is releasing her with. Pay close attention to the caged Louboutin boots (previously featured on WhatAlexWrites) in the opening scene and the Nuvo placement near the end. Now I know that my experience as a Public Relations major is not what's triggering this post. Product placement is SO OBVIOUS in this video. I mean, they're basically the only items in color in the video. I wonder how much they're getting paid to promote Nuvo in the video. And I bet they got those shoes for free. Don't mind me, I'm just hating because I really want those boots. Enough of my rambling, peep the video below:

DONDRIA "YOU'RE THE ONE" from SO SO DEF on Vimeo.

What are your thoughts? Do you mind the products being placed in the music video? Do you love the song as much as I do? Aren't those boots bomb? Will you buy them for me? My birthday is June 19th. Thanks for reading...

Madd Bananaz: Charitable Fashion

2010-04-03T17:58:00.000-07:00

Whenever I find out good information, I make it my business to share it with you guys. This morning at midnight, the new J. Dilla Tribute T-Shirt and mixtape became officially available for sale on the MaddBananaz website. In case you don't know, Madd Bananaz is a West Coast inspired clothing company in Houston, TX. Dig this, the shirts along with crew neck sweatshirts are not only affordable, but $5 from each sale will benefit the Alliance for Lupus Research. I happen to love the design of the shirt and I can see a hot guy wearing it with a cardigan while on a date with me. Ahhh, enough of my fantasy...

The reason why I think you should consider making this purchase is because not only will you or a loved one look fly in the shirt, but you'll have great music to listen to as well. As a Public Relations major, I must applaud what the guys over at MaddBananaz are doing. I recall learning that one of the best ways to push a product is to have a cause attached to it. I am positive that the mixtape and shirt sales will benefit from the amazing opportunity that customers have to help fund Lupus research. I urge you to support good music and a great cause.

If you'd like to make this amazing purchase, click here. If you're not yet willing to purchase the shirt, you can still download the mixtape for FREE here. It's an offer you can't refuse!

Feel free to follow the company on twitter @MaddBananaz or check out their blog for further information.

What's Your Type?

2010-03-30T09:18:00.000-07:00

We've all heard or said the phrase "They're not my type" or something of the sort. Up until recently, I've been reluctant to even admit to having a type. I'm sure that many others think similarly. I've suddenly realized that I was only looking at having a "type" from a physical perspective. Although I prefer taller guy, I've been known to take a chance with a shorty or two. I don't discriminate by limiting myself to men of my ethnicity, either. With these facts considered, I believed that I did not have a "type" but I've grown older and wiser. I am now certain that it's impossible to date without a specific type. Your type may not include physical attributes, but it definitely exists and considers other traits. I'd like to relate the possibly overused "if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything..."quote to prove my point. You wouldn't date just anyone, would you? Exactly. There are certain things that turn you off and will prohibit you from pursuing a relationship with some people. Therefore, you have a type.

While my physical type varies, I've learned that if I can't wear 4 inch heels without towering over a guy it will not work. My intellective type is most prominent. My ideal guy is goal oriented, but not too stern. Intelligence and conversation is key. If I think that I am smarter than a guy, it will not work. I must be able to learn from him for that builds respect. I recall tutoring my crushes in the past. I've edited essays and let guys copy from my paper in order to impress them. I've since realized that I shouldn't have to impress anyone. If I feel the need to try to impress you, you're not my type. We just need to get along, plain and simple. My type is the type that meshes well with the natural me and likes it for some odd reason. Hey if you fit the above listed bill and you are at least 23 years old, feel free to submit an application because they are definitely being accepted at the moment. Just kidding ;-).

Anyway, you now know my type whether you wanted to or not. What's your type? What's more important, looks or personality? Would you date someone that you thought was dumb? What qualities should your ideal mate possess? Hmmm.

So there's this guy...

2010-03-24T14:13:00.000-07:00

And his name is Caleb O. You can tell that he's quite the looker just by glancing at the picture to the left. I met him a little over a month ago while participating in a fashion show at my school and I've since become intrigued. Caleb is a 24 year old single, math teacher that lives in Long Beach, California. Dig this, Caleb keeps his nails clean and trimmed. That's a major plus, ladies! He also dabbles in the world of modeling and in my book, he's a super model. Don't ask me why you're presently reading a blog about this man because I probably won't be able to give you a valid reason. I just wanted to share his beauty that's all. Now if you're anything like me, you're interested in learning more about Caleb and possibly booking him for a modeling gig so I'd suggest following him on twitter @calebswo.

Let's Go to Barneys to See Christian!

2010-03-19T12:35:00.000-07:00

So my birthday is on June 19th and last year I got the most amazing pair of Christian Louboutin Alta Dama pumps from my parents. I kid you not, I've worn the shoes maybe five times since then and they're like my most prized possession. I've since promised myself that luxuries like this are mandatory. Every girl (that wants to) should know what it feels like to put on a pair of Loubou's. I swear that I feel like a million bucks once they're on and they make the simplest outfit pop! This year, I will get another pair even it kills me. My parents have created a monster and I'm currently working my butt off and saving for my second pair... In the meantime, check out these fab shoes that can all be found at Barneys New York.

Pictured to the left is the awesome Christian Louboutin Coussin caged ankle bootie. I'm thinking of one word, WOW! The shoes are so sexy and edgy. So whenever you've got a spare $1600, pick me up a pair in a size 36. I'd prefer them in the peanut butter brownish color. I was unable to get a picture of them so just visit Barneys' web page to check them out!

Next up we're checking out the black Alta Spritney, also by Christian Louboutin. These will cost you about $900. And as the post suggests, they can also be purchased on the Barneys website.

Lastly, these Maggie pumps are sent from heaven. I've seen celebs such as Victoria Beckham rocking them and they're super cute! The pumps oh so classy and they're moderately priced at $930. If you wanna purchase them head on over to Barneys.

What are your thoughts? Are these shoes worth splurging or what? And which pair is your fave?

Top Notch Entertainment Presents...

2010-03-16T16:13:00.000-07:00

Anybody who knows me, knows that I listen to very little rap music and like very few hip hop artists. With this as the case, I've been reluctant to post any rap related blogs. Up until now that is! I'm sharing a video by Young Magic (YM) and I share this video with you for two reasons. One being the fact that it's pretty cool and even with the excess amount of rappers in the Los Angeles area, YM seems to shine. The second reason is that it was directed by Ramses Perryman. Ramses and I attended school together at one point and he is a good friend of mine. I recall having a conversation with Ramses about our goals for the future and I must admit that when he said he wanted to direct films, I was leery. I was inclined to think about how difficult it would be for him to break into the competitive industry, but had not once thought that maybe he possessed natural talent. It's sad how we doubt others based off of our own fears. Shame on me because after watching this video I see that his work is beyond industry quality and it definitely makes me give YM's song a listen. Again, I'm no rap expert but this video is better than many others that I've seen. Enough of my rambling... Peep the video below!

embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/j0VaQbyZyAU" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="344">

To find out more about YM and his music feel free to visit his MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/YoungMagic
or follow him on twitter: @YMLegend

To get in contact with Ramses to praise him for his awesome directorial skills you can also follow him @RPerryman.

What are your thoughts about the video?

Album Review: Usher's Raymond v. Raymond

2010-03-15T09:58:00.000-07:00

No lie, I feel like I have the absolute best taste in music so the following review should be looked at with high regards. Although Usher's latest album, Raymond v. Raymond, will be in stores on March 30th, I was able to listen to it beforehand because I'm media (LoL)...

Usher's sixth studio album, Raymond vs. Raymond, is automatically expected to top 2004's Confessions after his last album, Here I Stand, failed to do so based on album sales. Luckily, Usher's two singles "Daddy's Home" and "Lil Freak" featuring rapper Nicki Minaj have already created a noteworthy buzz for the album. All are wondering if Usher is "back" after critics and fans alike cited his marriage to Tameka Foster as a reason for his last album's lack of success. (Quite frankly, that's the dumbest crap I've ever heard. A true fan would buy an album regardless of whether the artist is single or not. Here I Stand had plenty of great songs and should have sold way more albums. But this post isn't about that album, now is it?) Raymond v. Raymond has four standout tracks, one of which is the single "Daddy's Home" while the others are the controversial "Papers," the melodic "There Goes My Baby" and "Guilty" featuring T.I. If "Guilty" is not the next single, I'd be extremely surprised because it is hands down the best song on the entire album. It tells the tale of a woman's assumptions in a relationship leaving the man "guilty as charged" with or without actual proof. The song has a nice play on words and seeing as though it features a rapper that has recently been released from prison, I just know it would do well on the charts. Have Usher's people call my people if they need any PR assistance in this matter!

Others have been raving about the song "OMG" featuring Will.I.Am and how Usher's label should push it as the next single. Although I disagree, I think the song is decent. As far as other good songs on the album, "Mars vs Venus" and "Foolin' Around" get honorable mentions. I genuinely enjoy these songs and I'm sure others will too. To answer the question that all may have, Raymond v. Raymond DOES NOT top Confessions, but no album that Usher does ever will as far I can predict. That album may very well be his career highlight, but that should take nothing away from this latest effort. The state of the music industry just sucks right now because albums aren't selling thanks to piracy. I do hope that Usher gets the shine he deserves though because this album is pretty good.

The album is worth purchasing so please visit Usher's official website to pre-order the album and receive instant MP3s: www.usherworld.com/home

I previously provided a link to DOWNLOAD my favorite song from the album, "Guilty", for your listening pleasure BUT had to take it down to avoid copyright infringement... Spread the word about Usher's album though... I hope you've enjoyed this review. What are your thoughts? Is Usher back?

The Road to Success. . .

2010-03-09T17:01:00.000-08:00

is often a long and lonely one.

After speaking with a dear friend today, I felt obligated to write a post. She made a comment to me about not knowing what to do with her life and I was immediately intrigued. I asked her what she meant by that and she simply replied "I've been out of high school for five years and I'm not where I'm supposed to be." That sentence alone caused me to create this post. Do you believe that you are where you are "supposed to be" in life? Your answer to this question is more than likely "no" because we as humans tend to never be completely satisfied. I consider the American Dream to be the perfect example of this concept. Prosperity is what is sought as we continue on this journey that is commonly known as life. Even with this as the case, I could not help but be bothered by my friend's view on her life.

I may not be the most overtly religious person, but I know that God has a plan for each of us and we are right where He wants us to be. Often times, the path that we set for ourselves does not directly match up with the plan that God has. This may be the cause of some of this stress that we often encounter. I, for one, know that many of my problems are ones that I've caused. I don't desire to make this a diary entry with my personal issues exposed, but I do wish to let YOU know that you should never feel lost in life. These overinflated expectations that we have for our lives are a result of the media. We are often too busy trying to keep up with the Jones' and stay fly to have whatever type of images appeals to the masses. I encourage you to write down a list of goals, both short-term and long-term, for your life. Then write down a plan of action so that you will be able to reach these goals. Too many of us fail to plan yet we plan to succeed. It just doesn't add up. It may take longer for you to reach your goals than it does for those around you, but you should not be paying attention to others. This journey is yours and your alone.

Let me know if you agree or disagree with my thoughts... I love to receive feedback and healthy debates are always nice. Do you believe that you are where you need to be? Why or why not? Should people compare themselves with others to determine their level of success?

I leave you with this great quote that I found online

"Success often comes to those who have the aptitude to see way down the road." Laing Burns, Jr.

Why We Settle For Bad Romances...

2010-02-25T11:00:00.001-08:00

While listening to the radio, I happened to finally listen to the lyrics from Lady Gaga's hit single, "Bad Romance." I never really paid attention to the song before today, but it's pretty catchy. As the song went off, I began to think about the idea of a bad romance and what it means to me. Lady Gaga says "I want your love, I want your revenge. I want your love, I don't wanna be friends." and it totally struck a chord. We often ignore signs that would normally steer us away from an individual that may not be right for us because we dread being alone. OK, you're probably thinking

Why did Alex think so hard from simply listening to a Lady Gaga song?

and you're right for questioning my thinking, but I have a point. I mean, take a listen to Melanie Fiona's "And It Kills Me" when she sings "But I can't be alone, I need you to come on home. I know you're messing around, but who the hell else is gonna hold me down?" THIS HAS TO BE THE DUMBEST THING I'VE EVER HEARD!

I must admit, it's usually women that settle and make these sacrifices. Why is that? Are we that unhappy being single? Why do women seem to be so emotionally unstable and downright stupid for putting up with nonsense just to remain in a relationship. I'm honestly not equipped to do this, if I catch a guy in a lie or suspect foul play then it's a wrap! I'm not suggesting that people start thinking like me because I have serious trust issues, but use some common sense when it comes to relationships. Geez Louise! Heres some advice: If someone is lying to you, playing games with your emotions or just plain not treating you the way you treat them, it's time to let it burn. What are your thoughts?

Hmmmm. Do you still want to write a bad romance?

Why Aren't We in the Kitchen?

2010-02-25T09:04:00.000-08:00

After speaking with a friend, I've come to the conclusion that I do not know very many females my age that cook on a regular basis if at all. I'm 22 years old and I cook pretty often seeing as though I live alone and need to save money. If I don't cook dinner then I'd need to eat out at least twice daily and that can be extremely expensive. That's it. That's why I cook! It's honestly the only reason I cook so I can't act holier than thou. I will be making candied yams for the first time tonight so wish me luck! Cooking is a learning process for me and I'm beginning to enjoy it more. I met a guy and he had a great philosophy for he looks at cooking as an art form. He compares his dishes to works of art that he enjoys creating. I haven't quite gotten to this point yet, but hey. I must admit that if I had the means or a schedule that would allow me to dine out daily, I probably would. But what about you or those you know?

After doing a little field research I've noticed that women want to be wined and dined while being courted. This is fine and dandy, but how long should this last? Doesn't everyone want to stay at home and have dinner while watching movies or something? We've all heard the saying

"The best way to a man's heart is through his stomach..."

yet some refuse to cook. Is it because women have gotten lazy over the years? Are men no longer worthy of us slaving in the kitchen? Have societal roles changed that much? Granted, women no longer have to be extremely submissive and are often the ones bringing home the bacon but is a home cooked meal every once in a while too much to ask? Women complain that there are no "good men" around but in the event that we find one, will we be prepared? Cooking is an essential part of life and if you desire to get married and have children one day, I suggest that you start practicing now. If you ask me, some of this obesity is directly related to the lack of cooking that exists nowadays. I know women with children who buy fast food each day for some type of convenience. This is getting out of control! What are your thoughts?

Maybe I'm just old fashioned...

A Change Is Gonna Come

2010-02-19T14:33:00.000-08:00

Hey Ya'll,

Once again time has flown and it's been a while since my last post. I'm sure you weren't checking daily for updates or anything, but it is my dream that one day people will be. I don't desire to be a popular blogger for I consider myself a journalist. I hope that I will be able to use this site for practice and possibly build a network through it. If I'm learning anything while majoring in the field of Communications, it's that it's not WHAT you know, it's WHO you know! I titled this post "A Change Is Gonna Come" because I truly believe that changes will be happening in my life. I hope you noticed and enjoyed the banner I put up. Also, check out my logo pictured above. Isn't it lovely? It's courtesy of Hilltop Consulting and I'm extremely thankful. I'm one step closer to being "official." Whatever that means...

I will be updating the site more often so stay tuned... I'm currently working on a research paper about the lack of African American families shown on primetime television. Let me know your thoughts. I think it's a brilliant topic and I look forward to doing the research! Do you think that there are any television shows that depict African Americans is a good light?

A Frugal Person's Guide to Shoe Shopping...

2010-01-29T16:11:00.000-08:00

We all have our vices. Some people love drinking alcohol. Others love eating fatty foods. Alex loves shoe shopping! I must say that these tough economic times have not allowed me to shoe shop as much as I'd like to, but I still catch myself window shopping from time to time. As a professional shoe shopper, I have found that one should NOT buy a pair of shoes unless they they absolutely need them. It's easy to tell yourself that something in a store is absolutely necessary so ask yourself these two questions first:

"Do I have clothing and/or accessories to match the shoes already?"

"Will I be able to pay my rent after purchasing these shoes?"

If the answer to both of these questions is "yes", then you NEED those shoes! I have found that an amazing pair of shoes can enhance even the simplest outfit. I try not to get shoes that are "so fly" that I'll never find anything to wear with them. I keep it simple and find shoes that I can actually wear often enough to feel as though I've gotten my money's worth. So take a look at a few pairs of shoes that I think I need in my life! I'll probably end up getting only one pair, but it doesn't hurt to look, right?

These Zed shoes by L.A.M.B. retail at about $300 and I wear a size 5 1/2 or a 6 if you're feeling generous.
These Lana booties by Dolce Vita also retail for about $300 and are perfect for any season if you ask me.
Lastly, I can't forget about the ONE MAN that's following my blog... I'm in love with the idea of men wearing loafers! Peep these Parigi loafers by Salvatore Ferragamo. Granted, they'll cost you $475 so I hope you're gainfully employed. I'm sure you can find plenty of alternatives though.

. . .Quotes to Live By. . .

2010-01-19T12:59:00.001-08:00

I just so happened to log on twitter and see a retweet of something that Rev Run tweeted. I then clicked onto his page(@RevRunWisdom) and saw that he had a lot of interesting quotes/sayings that he tweeted. I would like to take this time to share some of my favorite ones with you:

"Ladies::: Be good to yourself, people only treat you as good as you treat yourself"

"Stop trying to figure out how to fix a relationship that ended badly! There are really no great endings! Its life"

"Be careful who u hurt - Pleasure lasts for a moment, but you could leave someone in pain 4 a life time."

"If you don't come out of your comfort zone... your headed for some serious discomfort!"

"You've had nice things happen to you before... They'll happen again!"

Now I didn't just want to copy and paste things that you can obviously read elsewhere so I'd like to share what these quotes mean to me. Without mentioning every single one, I'll state that I've recently been having personal issues. Ones that prohibit me from trusting others. Issues that were causing me to think that I'd rather be single for the rest of my life than to be stuck dealing with liars all the time. I've felt like I wasn't progressing fast enough in life. These are issues that made me feel inadequate. I'm not weird. We all feel like this from time to time. Now even though only two people read my blog (LoL), I just had to share this. These quotes and many others are quotes that should cause us to put things into perspective. Read them and apply them to your life in some way. You'll soon see all the blessings that your life has and the ones that are to come.

I encourage you to look for strength in words of wisdom. There is no need for you to feel sad about anything. You're too blessed to be stressed. And in the words of Ne-Yo, "You're too fly to be depressed."

She's So Dope....

2010-01-07T15:42:00.000-08:00

I'm supposed to be studying, but I can't stop thinking about other things. With this as the case, I thought I'd share Priscilla Renea's latest YouTube video. She's just the epitome of amazing, I swear! "Hung Up" is a clever song telling the story of a girl who think she has a guy all to herself only to find out that he has a girlfriend after calling his house phone.Just watch the video and you're sure to fall in love with Priscilla and her style of music. I'll edit this post more later when I find the time...

Why Do Black Men Lie?

2010-01-05T12:44:00.000-08:00

I've posed a question for which I have no answer. When I started this blog, I was attempting to write about random things that interest me and up until now I've only been interested by music, movies and other entertainment related issues. Up until now, I've been super single and not looking. But it is now 2010 and I have a crush like you wouldn't believe.. That was until I came up with the notion that this crush may have a girlfriend. In an effort not to put all my business on the internet, I'll get to the point. This guy has not once mentioned a girlfriend in the two months that we've been talking so I pray that my suspicions end up making me look psycho in the long run. We shall see...

But this post isn't just about this one crush, it's about black men in general. I can't count the number of times that a friend of mine has complained to me about her "sorry a$$" man that just happens to be black and a liar. I recently had a week off work so I spent most mornings watching shows like Maury and The Steve Wilko Show (SAD, HUH? LOL... DON'T JUDGE ME!)and on these shows there were many different races and ethnicity's being represented. The black men on these shows stood out to me. They were not once proven honest when the results of polygraph tests were given. There was one man who fathered four infants at one time by three different women. He accomplished this by lying to these women. Yes, I thought that these women had to each be hella dumb to get gamed up that tough, but maybe not. Maybe he was just a great liar. Whatever the case, why is it that black men are always two-timing and lying to women? Why is it that one woman is never enough? Should I be asking these questions for all men? What are your thoughts?

Let me know why you think black men lie....

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T11:27:00.001-08:00

Hey you...

Thanks for clicking on whatever link you clicked to reach my blog. Part of my New Year's resolution is to write more and this site will probably be the best way for me to do so. Do me a favor and follow me so I can share my randomness with you in 2010. This post will be short, but it's a start! Holler back with a follow or a comment. I'd love to know your New Year's resolutions and plans for this new year.

Much Love,

Alex B.

Mateo Made Me Blog!

2009-11-06T09:14:00.000-08:00

I've been a stranger to my blogspot page and this is true, but in my absence I've been attempting to, both, work hard and get my schooling out of the way. In the process, I've been doing what I do best... LISTENING TO MUSIC! What's life without a soundtrack, right? Anyway, I read blogs belonging to others and I wonder why they have so much time on their hands. They blog about so many things and do so frequently. In a dream world, I, too, would be able to do this and people would actually READ my blog.

I decided to update my page with one of the most beautiful songs I've heard in a while, "Get To Know Me" by Mateo. If I'm not mistaken, he's a singer from here in Los Angeles. I'm not gonna lie, I didn't purchase his EP from iTunes because I downloaded his mixtape that includes most of the songs, but I do love his voice and lyrics! This song hits close to home right now because next month I'll be in a scholarship pageant and the goal is to let the judges see the "real me" and hopefully it'll be great enough to impress them. If we all sought to let people see the real us life would be much more awesome! Too many people pretending to be something that they're not in an effort to impress others. Before I go too hard and get all deep into my issues with people these days, peep out Mateo's great video below...

Mateo - Get To Know Me [Official Video] from Mateo on Vimeo.

Isn't he bomb! If you know him, tell him to hit me up for some vocal lessons because I'd love to sing this at my pageant. Thing is, I can't sing! But I got a month so I can learn eh? Let us pray.... If you wanna get to know Mateo a little more, check him out on MySpace (do people still use MySpace?) www.myspace.com/Mateo

Are You Obsessed With Blogs?

2009-08-29T23:01:00.001-07:00

Ok so I haven't written a "blog" since April but I sit here babysitting on a Saturday night excited at the simple fact that I have internet access = ). I'd like to take the time out to address society's obsession with blogs. I know that me and people I know are valid examples of how people can be so concerned with the lives of famous people that they limit the potential for their own.

www.concreteloop.com, www.theybf.com www.necolebitchie.com, and lastly, the most negative site in the world, www.bossip.com are all among the sites that many seem to visit on a daily basis. Why? To see what celebrity was wearing what and where they were... Or if you're anything like me, to get the latest free music downloads. Is this an obsession? Is it really necessary to see Ciara shopping 82 times per week or to get a glimpse of Nas & Kelis' court documents? Why are these thing relevant when they are not even our business? Are the same people that you comment on pictures of or are quick to criticize are those making money while you're sitting at home simply checking up on them via internet blogs. Are you the reason that paparazzi are able to make a living by invading people's privacy? I'm sure that you know the answer to all of these questions...

I wanted to keep this post as brief as possile seeing as though not many people will read it. I just had to get a few thoughts out on paper or shall I say typed online. I have nothing against blogs and I think that they're the cheapest form of marketing/publicity. As a future public relations practitioner, I study topics like this and my findings intrigue me more and more each day. I think it's just as important to visit www.cnn.com as it is to visit www.tmz.com. Actually, it's 8000% more important to catch up on the latest news! But will that change the websites you frequent? Probably not, but the next time you find yourself indulging in gossip or about to leave one of those nasty comments, think of Alex (me duh).

Thanks for reading and don't be too shy to comment; I encourage feedback. I'd like to know that someone's reading so this won't be like my private online diary... lol...

Black Actresses in Hollywood

2009-04-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while since my last post... Not that you've been checking for me or anything. I wanted to touch on an important issue; the lack of roles for African American women in Hollywood. The majority of women we see in movies and on television shows are missing a key element: melanin. I understand that not all shows NEED a "token" black person, but why are we so under-represented these days? In an effort not to restate the multiple arguments that have previously been made by other concerned individuals, I'll focus solely on black actresses.

Can you name ten popular African American actresses in ten seconds? If you can then I applaud you. Now can you tell me which one of them gets paid (per film) as much as Julia Roberts, Katherine Heigl or Angelina Jolie? You may be drawing a blank or thinking of Halle Berry at best... With the lack of "successful" black actresses it seems impossible for someone like me to break into the field of acting. Due to the types of roles that are available, women of color are shaking their groove things in music videos or playing the girlfriend. We are rarely the star of anything nor are black films blockbuster hits. Tyler Perry has my utmost respect for producing films that show blacks in all aspects of life. But is one man enough? Should there be more "black" movies? I sure think so...

Think about the white actresses that are given all this money and end up in some type of scandal; Lindsay Lohan and Mylie Cyrus to be exact. It is just ridiculous the amount of chances(and money) these chicks are given. Keke Palmer, Monique Coleman and Kyla Pratt have never had bad press yet they aren't as sought after. I could SMH and blog all day to express my concerns but I'd rather share pictures of my three favorite black actresses.

Kyla Pratt is my absolute favorite due to her down-to-earth personality and overall beauty (she looks like me LoL).

Sanaa Lathan is just the epitome of bomb.com. I can't think of one role that she didn't do justice. She even had to kiss Wesley Snipes' ugly a** in Disappearing Acts and made that relationship look believable. Kudos to her!

Lastly, Taraji P. Henson because she has evolved so much since we first took notice in the John Singleton film, Baby Boy.

There are plenty of other actresses that I could've mentioned but you're probably tired of reading. What are your picks for the top three black actresses? Hmmm.

Music: Day 26 - "Imma Put It On Her"

2009-04-02T09:33:00.000-07:00

Bad Boy recording artists, Day 26, just released a music video for the song "Imma Put It On Her" on MTV.com. The video, directed by Rage, is the first single from their sophmore album, "Forever In A Day." If you've been watching this season of Making The Band 4 you may be wondering why this Q character is even in the video. As of right now, he is acting hella lame on the show. Almost lame enough for me not to tune in, but then again Will is in the band so that's not an option. I'm sure fans will enjoy the track so perhaps another number one album is in store for the R&B group...

I'm not so sure this was the best treatment for the song, but I think it's a pretty decent video. What do you think?

For the most up-to-date information on Day 26 follow them on Twitter at www.twitter.com/day26 or visit the official page at http://www.day26online.com/. Their album will be in stores on April 14th.

Music: "Brand New" Video Trey Songz

2009-04-01T13:08:00.001-07:00

Trey Songz is back on the scene and looking as sexy as ever! Check out his latest video for the buzz track, "Brand New". The video features cameos from many familiar faces including Jim Jones, Brian Michael Cox, Fat Joe, Young Jeezy and more. I think I peeped a little glimpse of Drake as well. The star-studded video appears to be the perfect suspense builder for the singer's upcoming album, "READY." Might I add that Trey Songz is lookin' kinda ready in this video...
Trey Songz - Brand New

The first single from the album will be the mid-tempo jam, "I Need A Girl" which I first heard as a demo by Johnta Austin. I love both versions although Trey's is a bit more polished. His highly anticipated third album is slated for release on June 30th. Let's hope he gets the love he deserves this time around because he is one of the realest R&B artists out at the moment. For additional information, be sure to visit Trey Songz' MySpace page: www.myspace.com/TreySongz AND follow him on twitter www.twitter.com/Songzyuuup.

Gossip: Omarion Married...to Bisexual Stripper???

2009-03-23T12:43:00.000-07:00

Rumor has it that the former B2K lead singer Omari Grandberry, best known as Omarion, secretly got married nearly a year ago. Seeing as though he has been off-the-scene for quite some time, this news is not extremely hard to believe. The lucky lady does, however, cause a little confusion. Reports claim that the woman, who is pictured with the singer to the left, formerly worked as a stripper at the popular Atlanta club, Magic City. This isn't the typical girl you'd bring home to Mama, but who are we to judge? Dig this, she is also reported to be a lesbian. Hmmm.... Kanye isn't the only one with an interesting taste in women!

Anyway, Omarion's alleged wife is featured on Magic City's website so be sure to click the link below to view. What do you think? Would Omarion really wed a much taller and controversial young lady?

http://www.magiccity.com/home.html

Music: Kid Cudi Retires???

2009-03-19T11:44:00.000-07:00

As I was doing my daily internet browsing I ran across an interesting story... According to his own blog, newcomer Kid Cudi does not plan to release any more solo albums after his debut this summer. The reason for this is that he has chosen to "fall back" on being an artist due to the overwhelming circumstances fame has caused. The MC, best known for hit current hit single "Day N Nite," plans to release a collaboration album with someone named Chip, but it will be his last studio recording. Seeing as though I'm not THE biggest rap fan, I have no clue who Chip is or if their album would sell. Whatever the case, I just thought that this was rather thought-provoking when one considers all the people trying to get into the music business. You may be thinking that so many others would kill for this opportunity... And he's just gonna up and quit?

I had these thoughts at first and then I read further into his blog. I then thought about the state of the music industry and now I couldn't be happier for the man. I mean, records aren't selling and artists only make money on tour and at other random events. He goes on to state that he'll begin focusing on a career in acting and I wish him the best of luck because he sure did a great job in Solange's "T.O.N.Y." video. According to the MC, he will begin shooting an HBO series this August so I'm sure fans are looking forward to that. For your viewing pleasure (actually it's my pleasure) peep one last picture of him looking super bomb below. Also, be sure to read his blog in its entirety by visiting http://www.kidcudi.com/.

(damn, damn, damn)

Music: Case Tryna Get It In Again

2009-03-17T13:17:00.000-07:00

I just felt obligated to post about R&B singer, Case. He was one of the best male voices in the mid-90s and "Happily Ever After" is one of the best songs ever in Alex's book of songs. Although he's been off the scene for nearly eight years, he's back with some fire. His latest single, " Lovely," has been getting plenty of radio airplay so peep the video below:

LOVELY

Case's signature sound is back, but will that be enough to secure a decent spot on the charts? With this economy and the way album sales are, it's not likely but be sure to show your support at www.myspace.com/theofficialcasemusic. His first album on an independent label, "The Rose Experience" is slated for release on March 24th.

Keri Hilson's "Make Love" Snippet

2009-03-12T08:34:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week Keri Hilson released a video preview for the song "Make Love". The snippet features a cameo from the swaggeriffic Kanye West whom I've never seen looking so sexy. This is definately the direction Keri needs to be moving in especially after the apparent Beyonce/Ciara diss track leak last week. I'm feeling EVERYTHING about this video EXCEPT for the hair!

"Make Love" - Keri Hilson

This song will be the third single from her debut album, In A Perfect World, which drops on March 24th.

Review: BET's Harlem Heights

2009-03-03T08:47:00.000-08:00

At a time when reality television is everything but real, BET has premiered Harlem Heights. The series follows the lives of eight “successful” African American 20-somethings living in New York’s legendary Harlem neighborhood. I personally saw only two or three of the cast-mates at work so I’m not so sure if these cast members/ characters should be perceived as successful as the show makes them appear.

As I do with many shows, I’ve picked my favorite cast members early on. All of the men seem decent especially Pierre and Christian. Jason, the short light-skinned guy, may be keeping it too real with his constant Harlem repping BUT he has an enjoyable parenting style! The women are the show’s source of drama and fakeness with cliques already established in the first two episodes. Briana, the brown skinned “fashionista” below, is by far the most ridiculous instigating female I’ve seen on my television screen yet.

SHE WACK!

Overall, I wouldn’t rush home on Monday nights to catch Harlem Nights but I would gaze at the show during times of leisure. BET’s response to popular MTV shows like The Hills and The City is no competition but it is definitely good to see African Americans in a more positive light. What are your thoughts? Did you watch the show? Check out another photo of the entire cast from the premiere party that was held at the Apollo Theatre last night below. Be sure to visit BET.com for more information about the show...

March Music Releases:Kelly Clarkson, Bow Weezy, J.Holiday

2009-02-25T13:29:00.000-08:00

Even after an accidental leak on behalf of the Norwegian division of the Apple iTune music service took place, Kelly Clarkson's latest album All I Ever Wanted will be released on March 10, 2009. The album's first single "My Life Would Suck Without You" has been receiving a great deal of airplay on national radio so I predict sales success for the singer’s fourth album.

Bow Wow is Back! The 21 year old rapper will release his seventh studio album, New Jack City II, on March 31, 2009. It was originally slated for release back in December of last year so fans have been anxiously waiting. After the not-so-popular first single "Marco Polo" featuring Soulja Boy failed to create a buzz, Bow Wow and Jermaine Dupree have made every attempt to revamp. "Roc the Mic" features the producer as Bow Wow strives to pay homage to those that came before him. The latest single "You Can Get It All" is strictly for the ladies and should give him the push he needs to ensure album success.

R&B crooner J. Holiday releases his sophomore album, Round 2, on March 10th. The album is the follow-up to his 2007 debut, Back of My ‘Lac, and is led by the first single “It’s Yours”. Judging from the song, the singer will not deprive listeners of the sexy lyrics and sultry sound that they’ve become accustomed to. I personally enjoyed the first album becasuse of tracks like "Pimp In Me" and "Suffocate" so if this new album has anything like that he can definitely expect me to spend $13 at Target next month!

Why I Created this Blog-A-Zine...

2009-02-25T11:10:00.000-08:00

Hello All:

I, Alexandria, am a current college student with a bunch of crap on my plate at the moment. My career goal is and has always been to become a broadcast journalist but with the world working how it does, it's always best to wear more than one hat. I've been looking into the field of Public Relations as well so we'll see. In the meantime, I've been making ends meet with my "desk job" while satisfying my journalistic craving by writing for other people's magazines and all that good stuff. When it comes to working for and with other people, I've learned that it can be complicated. Deadlines are extremely important and when rushed I never put forth my best effort. With this as the case, an e-magazine type of thingy is a much better option for me. With no deadline or due dates, I am free to cover what I want and not have my work edited until it is no longer what I intended it to be.

I am hereby stating that if someone isn't issuing checks with my name on it, then they have no right to irk my nerves!

At the suggestion of a co-worker, Leslie, I am starting my own magazine; An e-magazine! It's actually more like a blog right? Whatever the case, this blog/magazine is one that will be extremely cost effective seeing as though it's free for me to do. = ) So here's the deal! I will write and hope that you will read and enjoy my thoughts. I will mainly focus on things and people that interest me most. These things include but are most definitely NOT limited to music (Sammie, Brutha, Brandy, India Arie and many more), food, fashion and anything else that I deem entertaining. I guess will start ya'll off with a few music tidbits that I did this week that will not be published any place else seeing as though I "missed the deadline"....

STAY TUNED & WELCOME TO MY WORLD,

Alexandria aka Alex

What Alex Writes...

How to make a woman interested in you...

Alexandria B.

"As long as it sounds good..."

Alexandria B.

Troy Davis: Are you a bandwagon activist?

Alexandria B.

August Workout/Diet/Life Challenge

I went to the 2011 BET Awards...

Alexandria B.

Why people use Foursquare and/or "check in" online...

Alexandria B.

New Posts Coming Soon/ Brownstone Magazine Giveaway

Alexandria B.

Why I Won't "Follow" Certain Celebs on Twitter...

Alexandria B.

For those that read "relationship quotes" often...

Movie Review: Madea's Big Happy Family

Alexandria B.

Innocent Until Proven Guilty?

Alexandria B.

The problem with love is...

Thanks,Alexandria B.

Charlie Sheen, eh?

Alexandria B.

Regrets...

Alexandria B.

WhatAlexWrites and more...

"2011 IS MY OUR YEAR!"

Alexandria B.

Target needs to get it together!

Alexandria B.

I'm so grateful...

Alexandria B.

Do African Americans belong on prime-time television?

Alexandria B.

Wise Individuals Revolutionizing Everything

The Four Types of Friends...

Why so many Black women are single...

"This Time"

Download Jojo's Mixtape

I AM NOT GAY!

Alexandria B.

What T.I. and Tiny's arrest says about Black people...

Alexandria B.

What Do You Deserve?

Alexandria B.

The Bad Girls Club?

Alexandria B.

How Important is Sex?

Alexandria B.

Racism on the news too? Wow.

Why Black Men Don't Desire Black Women...

Alexandria B.

Ciara, Ciara... WTF?

Alexandria B.

I'm inspired...

Alexandria B.

When bashfulness is no longer cute...

Alexandria B.

What You Know About Sammie?

Alexandria B.

All I want for my birthday is...

Alexandria B.

UPDATES COMING SOON...

Alexandria B.

Eighteen Days Til My Bday...

I LOVE CHRIS BROWN!

Naturally Beautiful...

ALL I DO IS WIN!

Is there something you've always wanted to try, but been afraid of failure? Do tell...

Why Do Men Cheat?

“It’s nature and nurture. In these days it has a lot to do with nature. Everywhere you look, whether it is music, television, or politics- there is always sex. Damn near every song that’s out, whether it’s singing or rapping, it’s talking about sex with multiple women.”

"...men cheat cause they WANT TO. Period.”

SOCIAL NETWORKING PROBABLY RULES YOUR LIFE!

Product Placement Like Whoa!!!

Madd Bananaz: Charitable Fashion

What's Your Type?

So there's this guy...

Let's Go to Barneys to See Christian!

Thanks,
Alexandria B.

"Do I have clothing and/or accessories to match the shoes already?"

"Will I be able to pay my rent after purchasing these shoes?"