The Ultimate Music Collaboration

This is the collaboration that I want to see and hear.


There has been talk all over the web concerning Beyonce's re-mix of her video, "Video Phone" with Lady Gaga. Everywhere you looked the video was missing from every Blogger who said they had it. I found out later that it was taken down by the record company. I wanted to see what all of the hoopla was about and finally found it on one hip-hop website. I started to post it on here, but decided against my better judgement and not post it all.

It was OK, but it seemed rushed and a bit desperate for Beyonce to side with one of the worlds most fabulous up and coming artist, Lady Gaga. There are only a hand full of women who can in fact come off as avant-garde fashion renegades without being seen as fashion victims. Even your sister can rock the look because I secretly think that she is a real rocker chick any way. But this left me kind of disgusted because little girls watch these videos and they have enough problems just trying to grow up, let alone becoming little sex vixens.

Now, the real "collaboo" that I'd like to see and hear with Lady Gaga and that is one that is featuring Grace Jones and Madonna. That's right the two real Queens of shock and awe, they may be older, but they still have it and have loyal fans to prove it! These two women are the real Queens of avant-garde fashion. The ones who can set the dance world on fire and know how to bring the glamour and style to the stage.

Lady Gaga and Beyonce are only emulating these two icons and we all know it, but I could do without trying to use sex to sell mediocre records. Sorry Beyonce, I'm just not feeling this one and I think you know now that someones going to throw a little shade your way. You have over saturated the market and with anything people get tired of being fed the same thing all of the time.

There's nothing wrong with trying to score a coup d'état of the music scene because there is room at the top for everyone, but this was an epic fail and it shows by coming off as contrived. So, to all of you representatives of the above mentioned performers, if you want to reignite the dance world, put these three style mavericks on a couple of singles together and watch the music scene become transformed.Sphere: Related Content

What Would Michael Do?

(Photo:Reuters)


I've been noticing lately that Michael Jackson's music is being played on a regular basis by urban radio stations and wondered why they didn't do this while he was alive? All of this new interest in Michael is only because of pure guilt that they have now for discarding and not supporting him when he needed them. I think it's kind of late to start appreciating his wonderful talent when he's no longer with us.

It just pains me how two-faced the urban media is when it comes to mainstream entertainers, those who don't fit the description of what we should all sound and look like. Those who think outside of the box and won't others place them in one type of category.

I even hear that Michael is even being awarded posthumously for several awards. One being the American Music Awards as Entertainer of the Year, in which he has received five American Music Awards nominations, including artist of the year. The American Music Awards nominations were announced on October 13, 2009. Jackson is nominated posthumously for favorite pop/rock album and soul/R&B artist. Fans will vote for the artist of the year AMA award online. The five nominees are Jackson, Lady GaGa, Eminem, Kings of Leon and Taylor Swift. Winners will be announced during a live show from Los Angeles on November 22, 2009.

Michael Jackson’s legendary music career will also be honored with a special “Entertainer of the Year” award during 2009 Soul Train Awards, which I have yet to see. It's great that he's being honored in death but, it would have been even greater if he was appreciated while he was still alive.

I know his international fans appreciated him more than some of his newly minted American fans. Michael's real American fans did not abandon him when he was not in the public eye in favor of new and up and coming singers. They didn't abandon him when he was cleared of all the charges filed against him in favor of what the media told them with their barrage of tabloid lies and sensationalism.

If all of this was done when he was still physically here, the accolades would have probably lifted his spirits and may have saved his life from the crushing and damaging blows from the harsh criticism and ridicule he endured. Michael would have told his fans and the criticising media, thank you for all that you've done for appreciating my gifts of dance and song.

The accolades don't do much to help his mother and soothe her pain of his untimely death because the media continued to cause this wonderful woman even more grief after her son's death. With the public now buying his music in record numbers, how much will his estate actually see before the estate handlers take their share of the profits?

I miss Michael because he was one of the worlds best and we don't seem to appreciate our best until after their gone.Sphere: Related Content

Look What I Found at Targét!

Look at some of the fabulous clothes and accessories that Targét has in store for the holidays!




With the holidays fast approaching and a shaky financial foundation to boot for some of us stylistas. What's a woman to do if she has nothing in her closet or she just wants a quick pick me up? Well, look no more because Targét is our friend. Each selection can be set off with the bold and the "bling" accessories that you already have on hand and worn with the most valuable accessory of them all, confidence.

A woman doesn't have to spend a fortune on looking good and to feel fabulous. Check out these fantabulous looks from Targét for inspiration, many more can be found on their website. Many of these items are priced from $13.99 to 39.99, so be sure to check for availability in your size.Sphere: Related Content

Author Tracie Howard Transcends Southern Style

"I believe it’s important that African Americans are shown in mainstream situations, as lawyers, executives, movers in finance, and key players off the basketball court and the stage. We come in diverse forms, but too often are only depicted in, and of the ghetto. Writing is my contribution to changing these perceptions that are offered to the rest of the world. "

~Author Tracie Howard


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I second that comment because I believe the same thing and will do everything in my power to write about such women who are missing from the pages of the urban mainstream and majority mainstream media who are none celebrities.
~Vonmiwi





Check out the video of Tracie's "Grande Entrée" with Dwight Eubanks.


Years before her impressive roster of books were hitting the bookshelves, author and businesswoman Tracie Howard was living the good life on the east coast as a corporate executive before returning back to her native state of Georgia. Since leaving the corporate world to become a writer of what some call, "Chick-Literature" full time. She has written some of the most glamorous, sexiness, sophisticated and distinctive books on the market. Her books are what some can say are today's contemporary lifestyles and settings that some individuals are actually living.


Tracie Howard is such a woman who looks as if she walked off the pages of one of her many books. Her signature style extends well beyond the pages of her books, well beyond the world of fashion and design, into the actual realm of luxury, beauty and glamour, that defines the essence of Tracie Howard. Often recognized for her impeccable sense of style, one can actually say that Tracie's style has evolved over the years, but it is still all her own.


Tracie Howard writes about the life that she lives, whether it be jet-setting to Cannes or to St. Tropez, she lives it. All to often our society is transfixed on celebrities and think that they are the only ones living a "high-style" lifestyle, well I'm here to tell you that it's not true. There are countless men and women who are living extraordinary lives and are living the good life, and who have been doing so for years. You just don't read about them because the media would rather concentrate on the negative than the positive.


I want people to realise that these men and women of affluence do exist and do live among us, and have been doing so even before the "Age of Obama." The media feeds us images of women I'd rather not emulate and a beauty aesthetic that's certainly unattainable for me and a lot of women, especially one that I'm not even trying to obtain.

As a novelist, Tracie Howard has written seven critically acclaimed books which depict the diverse and glamorous side of American culture.





Tracie is also the owner of the fabulous Ethos Art Collection jewelry which is sold in some of Americas better stores. Tracie resides in Atlanta, Georgia. You can read more about her here.

All pictures:AJC, the author.
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Thank You Represenative Anh Cao for Being Your Own Man

The man who took a courageous stand for his constituents,
Rep. Anh Cao(R) LA.

"I know that voting against the health care bill will probably be the death of my political career," Cao said. But, referring to his opposition to abortion, he said, "I have to live with myself, and I always reflect on the phrase of the New Testament, 'How does it profit a man's life to gain the world but to lose his soul. ''~ Anh Cao (R)LA

If you care to find out who they are and how they voted, check here.

"The bill passed by a 220-215 margin and garnered the unexpected backing of one Republican, Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao of Louisiana.

I was happy for Rep. Cao when he won the election because I knew: (1) he is a very smart man and (2) he represents a district in which "twenty percent of the people are uninsured and they have tremendous health care issues and he believed this is good for the people of his district.

Rep. Cao should feel courageous for what he has done, if he represents the people, then the people will re-elect him. He answers to the people who elected him and not the Republican Party, I'd rather have a real man representing me than a coward any day of the week. There's no need for him to worry about not getting re-elected because his actions showed more powerful than words that could ever be spoken.

The other's don't represent the people, but instead , special interest, big business and the status quo. If any of our elected officials claim to care about the well being of each and everyone of their countrymen, then they'd better show me better than I can see what they actually do. All I hear is just lip service and see selective support.

Where was Senator Mary Landrieu?? I want to know where was her vote and why was she missing from all of the action? It appears to me that she would rather hide than have the courage than take a stand. Since Sen. Mary Landrieu has received $1.3 million from the health sector since 1995 that may be the reason for her absence.
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What In The Hell Did Sammy Sosa Do To Himself? ¡Sammy Sosa es ahora un Blanco!

Una vez pensé en Sammy Sosa como un hermoso hombre como hago de la mayor parte de hombres de Latinoamericano. Él era hermoso, no puedo que ahora porque él ha destruido su cara.







Sammy Sosa then.

Sammy Sosa then.

WTH! ¡Sammy Sosa es ahora un Blanco!

Sammy Sosa, like most people of African descent have a serious problem with being who they actually are. Millions of people of African descent throughout the Diaspora are subject to racism on a daily basis and are living in some of the most deplorable conditions known to man. In the Latin American countries they are ridiculed for their hair, skin color and physique, in which that places a heavy burden on them psychologically.

Sammy apparently did not like what he looked like and there was nothing wrong with him but apparently he has some deeper issues with the way he looked. The majority of people of African descent want to be accepted throughout the world and will deny their own heritage in order to do so. When you deny who you are, you deny your own existence.

Some of us can pass for Caucasian and some of us can not deny it even if we tried. The hatred that man has shown to us for centuries has destroyed the psyche of billions of people who have then passed this on to their own children. Poor Sammy and all of the other poor Sammy's of the world who hate themselves because they feel that their African Heritage makes them less than are pitiful. No one else will love you or embrace our beauty until we learn to love what GOD created.

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Shala Monroque's Style is Finally Being Recognized

Shala Monroque has made the Vogue's Ten Best Dressed for the third or fourth time and that's a good thing. The writer at The Pop magazine is certainly a stylish fashionista and the best part about it is, that she's not a celebrity. I like her style because it's fresh-innovative-polished with a mix of elements...always feminine and accessorized with her smile. She definitely deserves an article in Vogue. I like to highlight the style of lesser known women who certainly leave a fashionable imprint on me. Stay tuned for more.

Photo:Vogue Magazine/PMC.Sphere: Related Content

Christian Louboutin Always Delivers Or Does He?

Oh my aching feet! My feet hurt just by looking at these shoes and I'm a "shoeaholic."

Okay shoe lovers feast your eyes on these beauty's from Christian Louboutins 2010 Summer Collection. When it comes to fashion we can forget about being demure and also comfortable when it comes Christian Louboutin's sexy shoes or any of these "stiletto's of pain." These shoes are all about the allure and glamour. These shapely and towering stilettos will have even the most seasoned fashionistas tottering in them.

 For some, the bolder and higher the heel, the better. Not for me when comfort is key and those days of enduring excruciating pain for the sake of fashion are over. Give me something I can walk in with my big feet planted firmly on the ground. They are kind of cute, especially the black and gold ones...but, I'll leave wearing them up to Mariah Carey because she loves her "Chrissy Lou's."

And how about these monsters from John Galliano. I know a lot of men are now into wearing woman's high-heels, but these designers have taken their fantasy a bit too far. When and if I see them sporting these bad boys, then I guess they'll know our pain.

So, go ahead ladies and strut your stuff in a spectacle of color, style and uh...Pain.Sphere: Related Content

Glamour Magazines 2009 Women Of The Year

Actress Amy Poehler

                                The Women of Irans One Million Signatures Campaign

                                 Journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling.

                                               U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice

                                              Living Legend Maya Angelou

                                                Champion Athlete Serena Williams

California First Lady Maria Shriver

“There’s no magic to being here”--that with hard work, any one of us can rise to greatness."~First Lady Michelle Obama


Mrs. Obama with seven interns from the East Wing.


The First Lady's Glamour Magazine Cover.
(All Photos:Glamour Magazine)

The First Lady will grace the December issue of Glamour magazine which is due to hit the shelves November 10th. The December Women of the Year issue will feature five different covers with the top five influential women from around the world.This is also the first time in Glamour's 70 year history that a First Lady has graced the cover.

Mrs. Obama was also given a special award for her commitment to mentoring young women. The First Lady is establishing mentoring relationships between top women in the administration and girls in need in the DC area, and is encouraging women leaders around the country to do the same where they live.

Singer Rihanna Fenty is being honored for being the voice of a woman who has overcome domestic abuse and taken control of her career.




Rihanna's Cover.

You may read about the other phenomenal women here.

For the past 19 years, Glamour has saluted inspiring, high-achieving women through their Women of the Year Awards. This annual event has had an astonishing impact on politics and society—changing lives.

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Look What I Found!

I know and most of you know by now that a woman does not have to spend a fortune to look good. I've been on this quest lately to find beautiful pearl necklaces, especially those made with extremely large resin or glass pearls. I have yet to find any that are at least 20-25mm, but I've found some beads that are beautiful and I'll make a beautiful necklace out of them when I have the time. In the mean time I'm willing to buy what I want for now.



The always stylish Shala Monroque is wearing the type of necklace that I'm looking for.


Over the years, I've invested in a strand of Mikimoto Pearls for myself and my mother and I still have them. Before the dollar took a nose dive, serious shoppers could travel the globe and find bargains. In those days before the Euro, the Dollar was worth a few Deutsche Mark's, so I stocked up on a lot of classics. Today, I found two beautiful multi-strand necklaces at Forever-21 that will look great for work and after dark.




Both necklaces costs $8.80 from Forever-21.


I know...I know, go ahead and shoot me, this is what's on my wish list. I've got the earrings but I want the necklace. Don't ask me why, because I'm materialistic just like everyone else, but I'm trying to recover from it, I honestly am.(wink, wink)

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It Will Take The Children Of The World To Change The World

The children of Rio are taken it to the streets in protest of the violence in their country.


The children of Rio de Janiero have taken to the streets to protest the killing of one of their young comrades. Children of Mandela shantytown in Rio de Janeiro are now marching to protest against the violence that caused the death of a young student last week, who was caught between the police firing at drug traffickers. It will take the children of the world to possibly change a world that wants to exclude them from reaching their full potential by only regulating them to the bottom rungs of society. The adults don't want to do, so it's up to the children to claim their future. I guess parents all failing all over the world and it's showing.

Rio has won the right to host the Olympics, but will it change centuries of economic segregation that isolates the cities poor from the wealthy inhabitants. The citizens of the city have also said that Rio is not ready to host the Olympics until they retrain their police force, if not it'll be travel at your own risk for some tourist. The only time they want to include the people of color is during Carnival and in soccer, other than that it's back to the "Favelas" they go.

While watching an Oprah show a few weeks ago, they were highlighting the way women live around the world. She interviewed a Brazilian woman who also had a housekeeper who was clearly "raça misturada" and she had the audacity to say that her children visit the housekeepers neighborhood by hanging out at the nightclubs in the area and she said her favela was better than most favelas. I was like, is she for real? I thought for sure that she would be honest enough to highlight the economic and extreme racial disparities that the Brazilians of African descent suffer at the hands of the wealthy Brazilians.

It's amazing that our ancestor's created the majority of the wealth that many people of the world now enjoy and we aren't allowed to, that concept has got to change. Some say it takes a village to raise our children, there are lot of children who need our help, pick one!Sphere: Related Content

Now I Understand Why Magazines Are Becoming Extinct

While enjoying a wonderful day off from work, I realised why the majority of magazines are losing readers and are now becoming extinct, they don't offer any refreshing, creative and diverse content. In other words, there are Blogs that are better than a lot of today's magazines and are putting them out of business. Those that are still surviving are giving their readers good content, while those that are still relevant are hanging on by a thread.

Everyday I'm finding newer and very creative blogs on the web that are providing what a lot of magazines don't, diversity and inclusion and that's a good thing. People, especially women want to see themselves in the pages of magazines and when they don't, that turns them off. Sure magazines are suppose to rally consumers to purchase their advertisers products, but that's wrong if different ethnicity's are excluded from it's pages.

I love the wonderful Blogs on the web and their are millions of them who are far more better than any magazine in print. It's gotten to the point where I hardly ever go to any of their websites anymore because they are boring and nothing like these newer fashion Blogs. These Blogs are creative, honest, straight forward, innovative, engaging, artistic, funny, stylish and just plain old , fantastic! They offer something for everyone.

Even though I've still have not found one that fully addresses us women over forty because everyone seems to be obsessed with youthfulness. I want to find that one that is just as creative and is not trying to reverse the aging process, but instead celebrate and embrace it, so I'm working on that one myself.

I wonder will the day come that they'll start charging for subscriptions to read their blogs? If so, then that's the end of a good thing. I do this for fun and relaxation, I'm no journalist and I'm not trying to be one either. I'm sure those journalist and writer types probably cringe at my use of the English language. Anyway most of us don't write Blogs to be critiqued and judged by them and as long as we get the point across to our readers it doesn't matter. Keep Blogging people, the world loves you and so do I.Sphere: Related Content

Geaux Saints! Who Dat Say Dey Gon Beat Da Saints?

The New Orleans Saints Logo.


Me, wearing my N.O. Saints shirt, baby!





Now on to something for a little fun. The N.O. Saints are now 7-0! I'm so proud of my team and no, I've never abandoned them even when they were the "AINTS." No matter where I lived in the world I kept up with the news of my team. I would definitely like to see them win a NFC Championship and the Super Bowl in my life time because as long as they continue with this winning streak anything is possible. When and if they do, I want to be in that number on Rue Bourbon celebrating.Sphere: Related Content

Rama Yade Means Business! But They Still Want her To Step Down If She Continues To Speak Her Mind!

French Secretary of State for Sports, Rama Yade



President Sarkozy and Rama Yade caricatured as puppets.


Ever since French politician, Rama Yade was demoted to her present position she has had nothing but drama from her colleagues to include President Sarkozy. She is now the Secretary of State for Sports since she lost her job as the Secretary of State for Human Rights because of her outspokenness. As one of the countries most popular politicians, I guess they just want her to be a part of the Sarkozy administration and say nothing.

I guess politics are politics regardless as to where you live in the world. If we feel strongly about something they better recognise that we don't back down when it comes to doing the right thing. What they want her to do is resign, that's where all the unnecessary pressure comes from.

Now they want to move her to a different voting district, if she protest will this be the end of her political career? Maybe she can serve the residents of the area better than the former politicians have in the past. That area was the battleground for the protest many of the young immigrants raised hell in years ago because they were shut out.

Sarkozy at one time thought of her as possibly the next Condoleeza Rice or someone of that magnitude. Why can't she just be who she is, why do we have to be the next anything and make our own mark in society?

Continue on Rama, you are still young, beautiful, very intelligent and above all... you speak whats on your mind, which seems to be a rarity in Sarkozy's administration. We have more than enough "of shining pumps" in our beautiful country! France should be glad that there are still people who have the courage and convictions to take a stand!Sphere: Related Content

Princess Tiana "already sold out" | accessAtlanta

Princess Tiana "already sold out"  | accessAtlanta

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Anybody Want to Look Like Amber Rose for Halloween???

While enjoying a relaxing day off, I clicked over to the BV's website out of boredom and boy was I in for a surprise from their selections for Halloween ideas on costumes. Even though I'm too old to celebrate Halloween, but to suggest to women to dress up as Kanye West's model girlfriend is a bit of a stretch. I love Amber Rose because she's a style maverick, but I don't worship at the thrones of today's "pop princesses" like so many people do today. I like who I like, but my life does not revolve around them. She's a beautiful woman who has been said to be of Cape Verdean ancestry, I don't know how true that is and it's not that important.

My issue is that we seem to suggest to women that they must appreciate the looks of celebrities and other cultures before they accept their own. It's as if the mainstream culture doesn't celebrate us then neither should we. Why must everything we do have to have the "stamp of approval" from the dominant culture? First it was said that it was Bo Derek who started the corn row hairstyle, even when we had been wearing the style forever.


Lately it's been said that Amber Rose started the trend of African American women shaving their heads, some even went so far to say that Solange copied off of her-that's not true because we've been doing that one for a while too. They said the same thing about Sinead O'Connor when she wore her hair in this style. There are hundreds of women who rock this style on a regular basis. Could it be since they're not pseudo celebrities they don't get the recognition. I can think of a lot of well known women that made this look famous,does Pat Evans ring a bell?



It's even now acceptable for us to have a large gluteus maximus(large buttocks) because of J-Lo-also not true. We've had those for a while because it's a part of our physical make-up.



I've even read on some Blogs that Kate Goselin and Victoria Beckham started the "Bob" hairstyle. I was like what? We've been wearing that one since the 1920's, ever since Madame C.J. Walker invented the hot comb.



I guess it will now be acceptable for us to wear huge Afro's because at the latest Louis Vuitton Fashion Show the models wore the large Afro wigs, even though there's a "Natural Hair Revolution" going on? We've been wearing that look forever and I've been wearing it on and off for most of my adult life.




We are often duplicated, but never celebrated as the real trendsetters. Can't we just be who we are without attempting to look like some celebrity or a celebrity wannabe? It's like we can't even think for ourselves anymore because some people are obsessed with pop culture. It seems that we can't appreciate our own beauty unless the mainstream population does.That's why self-definition is key in defining who we are as women. I don't need any ones approval to accept me.Sphere: Related Content