Transition Season’s Most Valuable Player: Colored Tights

Transition Seasons MVP – by jnabongo on Polyvore.com

It is already mid February 2009, wow how time flies. On the 2nd, Phil the groundhog saw his shadow so we are doomed to six more weeks of winter. So if you put your weather fate in the hands of this furry little creature, that means six more weeks of winter fashion, i.e. wool sweaters, turtlenecks, and warm boots. During these blistering cold temperatures and mother nature’s random teasings of above freezing weather, a true fashionista still desires to look fly despite the frost on the windows and for me that generally means a short cocktail dress and peep-toes. So how do you winterfy peep toes and short dresses? Colored tights!!!

I was introduced to this phenomenon while in Japan. Everywhere you turn, you can buy colored tights, plaid tights, polka dot tights, two toned tights, whatever your heart desires, and the Japanese do a great job of pairing them with the right casual outfit or with shorts and a cute sweater or with a super sexy dress for the club. While winters in Japan are very mild compared to New York or Detroit, the tights are still an MVP during this transition season.

Colored tights paired with peep toe shoes is the perfect way to get them out of storage and get rid of that winter dust. This MVP also lets you get away with denim skirts and cute sweaters during the day as opposed to wearing jeans and slacks everyday of this log cold winter. So run out and get yours!

Random Question of the Day

If Michael Phelps were a black athlete, would his sponsors and the IOC have been so understanding?

Random Question of the Day

Why is it that the banks can use my tax dollars but I can’t?

Random Question of the Day

Why is it that some black people’s hair (in its natural state of course) is so starkly different from everyone else’s (i.e. course, naps, tight curl, ability to wear an afro, naturally)?

Random Question of the Day

Why is yawning contagious?

Random Question of the Day

When will President Barack Obama’s name be added to ALL spell check databases?

Bill Gates: Role Model for the Wealthy and Everyone Else

Bill Gates is one billionaire whose philanthropy I could never question. In recent years, Gates and his wife Melinda have dedicated their lives and finances to a number of worthy causes, some causes which have never effected them personally. The Gates Foundation provides college scholarships for minorities, money for AIDS research, mosquito nets and other causes affecting developing nations. In this video, Gates, a self-proclaimed optimist (we have something in common), speaks at the 2009 TED conference and poses two questions, “How do you stop a deadly disease that’s spread by mosquitoes?” and “How do you make a teacher great?”. In a mere 18 minutes he manages to touch on the problem, from a variety of angles, and even offers up solutions, some of which are currently in place.

If nothing else, this video confirmed for me why it is that I’m going to London School of Economics in pursuit of a MSc in Development Studies, to become one of the “brilliant people who care[s] and draws other people in.”

I encourage you to take the time to watch the entire video. I promise that it will be worth your time.

more about “Bill Gates: Role Model for the Wealth…“, posted with vodpod

TED: Technology, Entertainment, Design

TED is an organization that started out in 1984 (what a great year) as a conference to bring together people from the technology, entertainment, and design arenas to share ideas with one another. These ideas have now evolved to include ways to change our global society. The premise is that each year, 50 speakers give an 18 minute speech on their ideas to change the world. On their website, they list the mission of the organization as “Spreading Ideas”, the website goes on to say:

“We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world. So we’re building here a clearinghouse that offers free knowledge and inspiration from the world’s most inspired thinkers, and also a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other.”

I highly encourage you to visit the site and watch some of the videos, they will help to inspire you to change things in your everyday life and hopefully to positively effect the lives of others in your community and beyond. I will periodically post videos from the site and I hope that they will inspire you as much as they have inspired me.

http://www.ted.com/index.php/

Etta James is Wildin’ Out

How funny is this? Etta James, legendary jazz singer, 71,  said “that woman…gonna get her a** whipped” in reference to Beyonce singing her song on inauguration day. Hilarious.

Lil’ Wayne: Charisma at It’s Best

I have seen a few clips of the highly anticipated and highly unusual Katie Couric Grammy interview with Lil’ Wayne and now that I finally found the full interview, I must share it with the readers. You really see his vulnerability, his maturity, his grasp on his past, his charm, his charisma, his ignorance, his “I am who I am”ness; this interview, shows the world who Lil’ Wayne is, sober, I think.

Couric does an amazing job during the interview. She challenges his ridiculous statements and shows her disbelief of his words. She asks the tough questions about illegal activities and his thoughts on Katrina. During their bowling session, it seems that Katie actually fell for the charm, notice how she holds his arm and her flirtation is in high gear. She looks and behaves a little like a high schooler on a date with a college student, and he plays right into it. He shows his command of the situation and you can tell his is no stranger to entrancing females with his charm. The interview is well done and quite clever and I look forward to Couric’s interviews of more Rap/Hip Hop icons.