Sending a special birthday shout out to our über-fly First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama!
Not many women can follow-up a birthday with a round of inauguration festivities. You already know that she is going to look flawless.
For those of you who follow the First Lady, she has a new Twitter handle that her office released today. Check out her new Twitter profile at @FLOTUS. Remember, the accounts are run by her office but if she tweets, she will identify it with her signature “-mo.”
Now I’ll be the first to say that I love me some catfish. Fried to a crispy golden brown, preferably with collard greens, macaroni and cheese, and sweet potatoes. Catfish always brought me good memories. I remember going fishing in Georgia and catching my first one. Watching my then mother-in-law clean it, fry it, and place it on a plate with hot grits was nothing short of heavenly.
Unfortunately, our society goes out of its way to change the meaning of things. In the modern lexicon, catfish is not a menu mainstay but a description of a person who chooses to serve a big helping of lies and deceit.
Here’s a breakdown of catfishing: people create false identifications to pursue deceptive online romances. They use pictures of people who are not them and make up stories to make them seem like they are something they are not, thus drawing the other unsuspecting person in. Catfish will go through hoops to not meet their online loves as they know their cover could be blown at any time. This manipulation often leaves many who are genuinely looking for love feeling strung along, used, and humiliated upon learning that the other person is a complete fake.
Which brings me to Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o.
For those who do not follow college football, Manti Te’o is a Notre Dame linebacker who drew attention when he announced that his girlfriend died of leukemia in September, one day after his grandmother died. The story made headlines and tugged on many heartstrings. Long story short, there was no girlfriend at all. What’s left now is something out of a movie: an obviously embarrassed young man left to pick up the pieces, a school scrambling to do damage control (even though the story just broke, the University of Notre Dame were informed of the deception since December 26), and sports journalists completely baffled as to how this could happen and how to really report on the story moving forward.
I guess catfish doesn’t sound too tasty in that context.
A good idea as to how this could happen is to watch Catfish on MTV or better still, watch the documentary, Catfish. Having seen it, it is definitely an eye opener as to the perils of online dating.
I’m still taken aback. What ever happened to dating face-to-face? Peep the video:
Ever been in a last-minute pinch for shoes to pair with an outfit? For many women, Bakers Shoes served as a cheap, safe haven for many a sartorial challenge.
You may want to rethink your shoe shelter.
According to Footwear News section of Women’s Wear Daily, the shoe retailer has been approved to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy instead of Chapter 11 on Wednesday. Bakers Footwear Group initially filed for bankruptcy protection in October in hopes to liquidate their over half of their 214 locations.
I used to shop at Bakers when I was younger but when they went into certifiable platform pump and stiletto hell for the club set, I decided to put on my big girl drawers, grow up, and simply head to the department stores (these size 10 babies are delicate, you know).
Oh well, there’s always Nordstrom. Rise above!
Say what you want about actress Halle Berry. Be it family drama or man problems, trust and believe, it surely does not show when she hits the red carpet for an event. Dudes try to deny it, but simply can’t: they would kill to have her on their arm. She. slays. consistently.
And don’t let it be awards season…
Two days, two ceremonies, and two knockout dresses. Between the BET Honors (wearing Monique Lhuillier with Brian Atwood shoes), which was filmed last Saturday, and Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards (wearing Versace with Christian Louboutin heels), Halle has proven that she one of the few women can skip awards season for a few years, only to return as if she never left.
Images: Zimbio
No new year begins or progresses without the death knoll ringing. With January already half gone, I figured amongst the Aaliyah tributes (today would have been her 34th birthday), there would be a report of a celebrity death.
Unfortunately, I was right.
Conrad Bain, known to any television junkie in the 70′s and 80′s (when television programs actually meant something and the subject matter was much more lighthearted) as Phillip Drummond from the television sitcom, “Diff’rent Strokes,” died today from natural causes at the age of 89.
The Drummond character was unique in itself, in that here was an older white widower, taking care of his late black housekeeper’s two sons. Obviously this was way the before the current “adopted black baby as modern day accessory” phase, but still made for captivating and comedic television.
The only remaining survivors from the original cast are Charlotte Rae (Mrs. Garrett) and Todd Bridges (Willis). Gary Coleman, whose character Arnold Jackson, coined the catch phrase, “What’chu talkin‘ ‘bout, Willis?” died in 2010 and Dana Plato, who portrayed daughter/sister Kimberly died from a drug overdose in 1999.
Bain is survived by his three children.
Dear Parents:
Why must you insist on bringing children to the movies, especially when the movie is clearly for adults?
Let me expound:
I’m out with my sister on New Year’s Day for some much-needed girl time, which included checking out the movie that everyone talking, raving, and fussing: Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained.” We’re all settled in our seats at the theater, knowing we are about to see a bunch of violence, hear the N-word more times than we can count, and watch a twist on the most despicable time in American history, Tarantino-style. Then I hear it: the joyful sound of a toddler’s laughter and the rattle of some type of toy. Before I could exact the proper dosage of side eye (of the “Are you serious right now?” variety), said toddler’s infant sibling started screaming. You know what followed after that: turning heads, snide comments, and two parents scrambling to keep two babies quiet. In an R-rated movie. With a run time of almost 3 hours long.
Obviously, these parents needs a refresher course in the Motion Picture Association of America’s (MPAA) rating system.
What I find disturbing about this scenario is that this is not anything new. More parents are simply opting to bring their underage children with them to see movies that are obviously inappropriate. Extreme violence, sexual situations, and foul or blue language are now mere afterthoughts. It seems like the more intense the violent and sexually charged a movie is, the more parents I see with little ones in tow.
As a parent, I am highly aware of having very little downtime to enjoy simple things like a trip to the mall or taking in a matinée. On certain days, I can barely read a magazine or enjoy a cup of coffee without hearing, “Mommy, Mommy, watch me/let’s go here/I’m hungry/I want that…” I am consistently invited to several events and outings that I simply cannot attend because of scheduling and childcare. Just think, I only have one child, so I can imagine what it is like for parents, married or single, trying to find an inkling of leisure time with two or more children. But this serves as no excuse to force your babies to ride shotgun because you want adult stimulation.
This is where a little time management and a lot of maturation come in. Get a sitter. Plan in advance and set aside time to have adult time. This is one of many outings (including girls/boys night out, certain dinner engagements, networking events, etc.) where your babies should not be in attendance. The other option? Simply stay home, get acquainted with your local Redbox, or spend the extra money renting movies from your local cable provider.
Needless to say, within a half hour into Django Unchained, the couple, with infant and toddler in tow, left the matinée. It left me wondering, “Why go through all of that in the first place?”
There will still be some that refuse to take this little jewel of advice and keep right on exposing their kids to things they should know nothing about until they are much older. Take heed, when they start to reenact what they have seen, it would behoove you as parents not to cry foul. Remember, children are forever our mirrors…
Rise Above!
As 2012 winds down, I can honestly say that this year has been quite interesting to say the least. I accomplished some cool things this year and made some of the hardest decisions in my life. One thing I can say, the world keeps spinning despite it all (how’s that Mayan calendar looking right about now?).
I’m not going to give you a bunch of “best of” lists, who did what (or whom), who went where and what everyone was wearing. This post is about you.
Aesthetic Elevation wants to thank you all for your support, encouragement, and prayers during this past year. This blog has been like a marriage. When it was good, it was wonderful, but when the bad days hit, my faith was tested to the core. Through it all, writing about things, whether big or small, kept me going. On the other side, me and this blog sit, still together. Feeling good.
My wish for all of you is simple. True happiness and courage to go after everything your heart desires. A few points to carry you through all of 2013:
That said, Happy New Year and Rise Above! See you in 2013.
With love and understanding,
RiaRob
