Nicole be Thinking...

Amber Rose for Complex So… There is this website that I would rather not endorse that is notorious for starting (mostly false) shit and posting leaked and/or doctored pictures of celebrities. This site always claims to have a "SUPER-DUPER-RELIABLE" source deep in whoever's "camp." Well, recently some "reliable" source sent this site some graphic pictures of Amber Rose supposedly sent to Nicki Minaj's boyfriend. Amber used Twitter to explain that the 2-and-a-half-year-old pictures got into the hands of a former employee by dishonest means and sent them to blog sites. Not intended for anyone's boyfriend (except probably her own), the pictures were on her laptop, which this former employee used frequently. She says she wouldn't leak pictures like this because she "[has] so many young girls that look up to [her]" ( @DaRealAmberRose ). Immediately after the site posted the pics, the judgment began. Some comments: "...

Earlier today, Shadow and Act pointed out that She's Gotta Have It turns 25 this year (Hey! Me too!). Their post focuses mainly on the strides (or lack thereof) blacks have made in film. Struggles with ratings and sexual representation seem to have dissipated until you reeeally think about… [Shadow and Act challenges us to name Hollywood movies released last year that features blacks being affectionate with blacks. Can you?] I really like She's Gotta Have It . I was going to watch it after reading Shadow and Act, but I have it on VHS and no longer own a VCR (weird, I know…) I grew up mostly as an only child and movies were my older brothers and sisters. Clueless had me thinking that I'd drive a Jeep, like older dudes, and go to the mall to recover from bad grades (and… well… I do.) School Daze made me believe that college was a magically musical and political place (and… yeah… it sorta is.) Similarly, She's Gotta Have It (though flawed) served as a model of black ...

[...with music .] As you were.

I was catching up on Twitter the other day and saw a retweet of a post from untiligetmarried.com entitled, " Just Because I Want to Sleep with You Doesn't Mean I'm Disrespectful ." I had been dealing with a situation the night before with a dude's whose attitude seems perfectly summed up in that title. I was prepared to hate it. Jozen Cummings, who is also the Senior Culture and Music Editor for Global Grind writes that "sex [is] the highest form of praise one can give another." Though he goes on to admit this is problematic because "each encounter must be evaluated … in context because sex is a lot of things," his main point is that sex, and his desire to have sex with a woman is never disrespectful: "Just because all I want to do is have sex with them, doesn't mean I don't respect all of the other great things they have to offer. […] I just don't care about what else they have to offer at the time I want to have sex with ...

I had plans to respond to last night's Boondocks episode today, but I was teaching... then I was working out... then I was on a field trip. So... It'll be posted tomorrow. Until then, I'd like you all to read up on blacks and prisons in this country since so many of you think it's funny... Slavery and Prison - Understanding the Connection (Kim Gilmore) The Social Functions of Prisons in the United States ( Bettina Aptheker ) Masked Racism: Reflections on the Prison Industrial Complex ( Angela Davis ) Women in Prison: How It Is With Us ( Assata Shakur ) Enjoy...

My dictionary.com app (#teamiphone #folife) defines "gentrification" as "the buying and renovation of houses and stores in deteriorated urban neighborhoods by upper- or middle-income families or individuals, thus improving property values but often displacing low-income families and small businesses." I mostly see this when white folks want to "improve" something. Like the situation with Belmont and Rose Park. OH! And when white people want to be edgy and/or gritty and move to East Nashville… I don't really see it happening in other ghettos, though… Nolensville Rd. is still very Mexican... Architecture and civil engineering are interests of mine (In 3rd grade I drafted an entire city without direction or adult input…) so while I was in line waiting for my Mocha JavaKula at Borders The Plan of Nashville caught my eye. It's a great book and an awesome plan. However… does such a plan cross that line into gentrification? One of the 10 principles tha...

I know… Coming from a racist like me, that seems a little funny… But it's true. Some shit just is . No need to go deeper and make it about race… I had a long talk with my Mini Me last night (that would be Tia, for those of you who just started reading my blog…) and we discussed the racism in the Princess and the Frog and how a mutual friend of the family is outraged about it even though she hasn't seen it. Then we started talking about Tyler Perry and what makes a "black movie" and all sorts of other stuff that is better suited for a different post. When I got up today and started my rounds on the internet somehow I came across this picture of Kanye West and Lady Gaga. I saw the pic yesterday I think, but today it was special because of the conversation I had with Tia and the comments under the pic . Now… I'm a racist. I admit it. I'm very honest about my biases and prejudices and society says that makes me a racist. However I am probably the most open mind...

OK… So… A lot of this is repetitive (and that's actually important…) so I'm not going to go over everything about all these folks. You can read the bulk of it at the source sites. There are quite a few sites out there that say that Beyonce and others are possessed by the devil. It's actually a really interesting way to waste some time if you have it. But maybe that's just me since… I love a good conspiracy theory. I'm not here to debunk all this stuff. I just think some of it is simply wrong. Or… aimed at the wrong person. Or… conclusions based on shit that can't be considered evidence. Let's look, shall we... Alright... vigilantcitizen.com starts their analysis of Beyonce by saying Along with her new album, Beyonce has presented her fans to a new alter-ego named Sasha Fierce. The singer affirms that this new persona is the fun, more sexual and more aggressive side of her. This is however the “general public” version of the story. The esoteric meaning r...

i've been absent from you but not on purpose. i really only have time to blog when i'm sitting at work and then i have all the time in the world (8.5 hours to be exact) to do whatever i want on the computer because i'm sitting there staring at it. anyway... i'm going to run down my links (another unintentional trend that has started here...) with some of my commentary... enjoy: Chris Rock to Bill Clinton: "Hilary Lost!" Dear Governor Palin: Why So Afraid of the Fourth Estate? R.I.P. Nancy Hicks Maynard 75 Books Every Woman Should Read I endorse these: Wide Sargasso Sea, Jean Rhys Beloved , Toni Morrison A Good Man is Hard to Find (and Other Stories) , Flannery O'Connor [really anything by her...] Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston Wuthering Heights , Emily Bronte A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Betty Smith Assata, Assata Shakur (not on the list) I read this article about how black women have 5 times the number of abortions that white women have...

i took this week off from life, sorta. what sucks most is that when i do that, i can't really remember what happened all week so it's hard to update you all... basically all week i just kinda went through the motions. james's birthday was tuesday so we've been celebrating all week... next week my discipline starts... no REALLY. we're on a 2-year-plus plan right now... planning out the next two years so that the plus years after that will be wonderful. anywho... i'm at work, bored. since i've taken the week off i haven't really seen or heard anything that has me ready to blog... i have read a bunch of things from a variety of sources so we'll do my favorite links from this week, Snippets from my Day style. Belmont is hosting Presidential debates in October I don't know if you all know that or not, but yeah. one would assume that this is a wonderful thing. actually... LOTS of ones think it's a wonderful thing and MOST of these people do not go...

...well, at least not anytime soon... too much is going on in the world and i'm getting frustrated because i feel like 1.) no one is listening to me, 2.) no one is thinking about actual issues, and 3.) no one is utilizing the common sense that God gave them. however... there are a handful of people who DO think about actual issues and use common sense. AND, i bet they would listen to me, too, if we ever met. =] The following is a list of articles i've been enjoying over the course of my day... they are thought provoking and i agree with pretty much all of the opinion pieces. i know i've put up lists before, but this list is my "yay! for free-thinking people who aren't afraid or ashamed by the word 'liberal!!!'" i was beginning to get scared... you will probably be seeing more of these the closer we get to the election... there really isn't a lot i need to say. just go READ! Miscellany I heart Heart. What Republican offspring probably w...

i was going to blog about something else today, but then i caught up on my "diary of an anxious black woman," and i am convinced that (today) you should just LEAVE my blog entirely and go read hers. she's on my blogroll... for quick reference... THIS and THIS is exactly what i've been thinking/saying since this whole mccain-palin announcement (and subsequent announcements...)!!!! alright, now, GO! enjoy... come see me tomorrow. =]

it's been a week since i last blogged. a lot has happened i think. i say i think because i really don't remember everything that happened this week. *shrugs* anywho... i'm sitting at work. hella congested. hella bored. HELLA tired of talking to people. so again, i'm sitting here perusing the internet... the best of what i've found follows... begentlewithit! School Starts Wednesday We lost Soror Stephanie Tubbs Jones Obama Chose Biden Apparently hip hop is taking over the DNC What's wrong with this picture? Faith Evans thinks we care what she wants to tell Am I feeling Solange too much or do I miss Beyonce? I AM feeling these 2. VERY much so... =] Read some Assata Ok... so... i'm going home now... about to get me some james and some theraflu... gosh i can't wait for this to go away! R.I.P Soror Stephanie Tubbs Jones September 10, 1949 - August 20, 2008

i'm at work. bored. out. of. my. mind. i'm sure there's stuff i could be doing, but instead i've been sitting here thinking about my boredom... i've been perusing blog sites, playing with wordle , listen to my iPod, and answering some calls. the following are some items, articles, things, whatever that you should go look at, read, examine if you're bored and could use some brain fuel. The Basis of Black Power: a SNCC position paper The Revolution Will Not Be Televised What Should White People Do? Pot Psychology What the fuck are we doing to our little girls??? I told you Kwame doesn't need to go to the convention Apparently People Aren't Consummating Marriages Anymore I'm nothing but a sandcastle; Baby, don't blow me away Kanye Appreciates Great Architecture DMX Actually Needs Help, Yall Insert Funny Shit Joke Here Offensive? I've been here since 10. I'm tired... and it's nowhere near 6:30. damn i'm ready to go. =[ OH! i stuck my...

so... last week marcel over at pourtout pancakes wrote a blog about why he left new york citing a poster a florida marlins fan made that said, "if new york is soooo great... MOVE BACK." basically it annoys him when people who aren't from the south come to the south and talk about how great their hometown is compared to the south. he goes on to talk about how much better than his hometown the south happens to be. i am from OAKLAND, though i am in the south and have been since 2000. i can't knock marcel for feeling the way he does about new york but i have to disagree... i STILL fucks with my hometown... only one thing about marcel's post bothered me, but i'll get back to that in a sec. i just want to point out 2 main things first. to contrast new york with the south, marcel writes: I loved being out in nature, sitting in the back yard, just relaxing. It was so different then New York, where there was so much stress. The biggest difference was the peo...