Popular and Not-So Popular Sites that Talk about African American Celebrities

Wow! Time flies when you are having fun! I decided that for the 101 blog entry let me refer you to seven websites and blogs that talk African American celebrities and all the drama that comes with it! In this list I mention some you may have heard about or visited from time to time and some you may have not. (These are not in any specific order of importance.)

1. Media Take Out has been receiving an increasing amount of exposure at non-black sites I have noticed. They are like the TMZ.com for African Americans. When you want to be entertained with ugly hair weaves, ashy elbows, or ghetto celebrity drama, this is the site!

2. Black Entertainment Television I could have put them first, but why? You already know about them and if you don't you better ask somebody! Besides, I'm not trying to be funny, but usually I already knew about the latest news days in advance before their email hits my inbox -- what's up with that?

3. Black Planet This site has been coming up over the years. I mention them because they have surprised me quite a few times in email with some information about a celebrity I didn't know.

4. This is 50 I was shocked at the amount of traffic for starters his site receives and all the uploads! Whew! You can visit his site now and then come back later and there are plenty of postings about all sorts of entertainers and 50 doesn't mind clowning a few! (LOL)

5. Bossip "Henny without any coke" so there is no question who is running this site! It's a black celebrity gossip site that boldly advertises alcohol.

6. Glam A nice, neat site dressed in pink that talks about a little bit of everything black. I like it!

7. Your Black Gossip Another good looking blog dressed in black that provides both opinion and news about African American celebrities.

So here's seven to quench your African American celebrity news appetite! Enjoy surfing!

Hair We Go Again! - the African-American Woman's Hair Raising Issue of Hair Vs. Health

The hair issue seems to be raising its ugly head again. With the recent release of the new Chris Rock film: "Good Hair" the conversation again turns towards the importance that black women place on their crowning glories. The amount of money that women, black women in particular, spend on their hair according to the film is staggering. We spend billions to have our hair "fried, dyed and laid to the side" as they used to say, and because of that, we are NOT going to mess it up. I know women who have claimed to develop awkward sleeping positions, like propping pillows up behind them, so that they could sleep sitting up. Or one young lady I know who claims to sleep with her head hanging off the bed so that she doesn't "smoosh" her do. I for one like a good night's sleep, so I'm not about to allow a style to get in the way of my dreamtime, so the most that I will do is to sleep on a pillow with a satin cover or pull it up at night with a satin scrunchie. Yes fashionistas, I did say scrunchie, and mind you, it's only for sleeping and doesn't go outside of the house.

In that same vein, a hairstyle has never kept me from the gym or my regular workouts. My personal stylist is very used to me saying to her, make it cute enough to last me a day, because it won't make it past the week-end. And many of my colleagues who see me with a straightened style know not to get used to it 'cause it won't look like this tomorrow.

I joke about that aspect, but it's true and very real. If you talk to most Fitness Professionals, especially those who have experience working with black women, the number one reason that they give for not working out is "they don't want to mess up their hair". To that I say, get over it! Maybe at one time that may have been a weak but valid excuse, but nowadays women have so much freedom to play with different styles. With the teaching schedule that I maintain, I work out regularly and still maintain a great appearance from head to toe. The trick is experimenting and finding hairstyles that work well with your lifestyle. You can braid it, get a weave or extensions, buy a ponytail, a wig, wear it natural as a fro, locks, twists. There are so many options, but just don't let the hair issue get in the way of your health. At the rate many of us are going we will be good looking corpses faster than you know it. Imagine the conversations at the funeral, "she was so young...but her hair was always fierce". Some how I just don't think that's how it will play out. At that final stage, who will care about your hair? Your fly and fierce hairstyles won't make a difference when you're not there to enjoy life with your loved ones, especially for reasons that are preventable! For those ladies who get it, I applaud you. I've seen some of these ladies get really creative. Before class they go into the locker room and carefully wrap their hair, and some have even rolled it up in curlers and covered it up with a scarf to keep it in style. When I see them after class or their workouts, they'll smile at me and say, "I love looking good, but I need to work it out and that's more important." What's even better about this whole scenario is that the guys at the gym who see this actually don't mind. Their response is, "I can't get mad at a woman who puts her health before beauty and a hairdo". Did you hear that ladies? They're more impressed that you're working it out. This summer I taught at a fitness event outdoors and it poured cats and dogs. I waited for the director of the event to tell me to stop the workout, but he said keep it going and so we did. Although we lost a few women to the elements, the majority stayed until the very end. And when the rain cleared I said, "Well, that eliminates excuse number one...the HAIR ISSUE. If you ladies can work it out in the rain, you have no more reasons to EVER use hair as a reason to forgo you workout again." They all laughed, but they knew it was true.

So why is this so much of an issue? According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), *80.5% of black women in the United Sates are considered overweight while 54.3% are clinically obese having a body mass index (BMI) higher than 30.

At these raised levels, that means that 80.5% of black women are at a higher risk for weight-related illnesses or chronic conditions that are exacerbated by higher weight levels such as Diabetes, Hyper-tension, Heart disease, Cancer and Stroke. Have the freedom to wear your hair in whatever fashion you choose, but please ladies, do not let it get in the way of your life! As the old saying goes "over my dead body..." if a change in habits does not occur today, that may be sooner than you think.

by Allegra Feamster

*Statistics source: CDC/National Center for Health Statistics; Health U.S., 2008, Table 75

Free Stuff: You Know What Some Will Do for Free

I have been at events where "our people" will take a stack, a group, or a bunch of something and act like there is nothing wrong with greed. They will laugh and comment, "you know girl I can use these..." While those around them will think or boldly say, "Well was you thinking about leaving me some?"

You can avoid being the one frowned upon or being the one irritated by that greedy woman or man standing in line with you. Simply perform a search on whatever it is that might peek your interest or visit as many freebie sites as you can. Although some sites will brag free, the truth is alot of the real good stuff is far from free. Anytime they ask you for your credit card information before you can type in your shipping address then they aren't giving anything away for free. Many people find out the hard way when that monthly bill comes in the mail, "What is this? I never order that?" Yes, you did when you gave up the credit card information without reading the fine print.

I enjoy trying new things especially when I don't have to pay for them. One day while checking out the Walmart.com website, a one stop shop of everything you need for daily living, love it!!! I found information for free trials and samples. If you are like me, you might want to try something new for free. Check out their website and search for free samples and trials or look for a link on their home page.

Next stop on the Internet is usually free information, software or downloads. Before you purchase anything search "free" then include the name of what you are looking for. Do the same when you visit classified ad sites you never know what you might find.

Stop by my blog to begin your search for "free" http://helpforpeopleinneed.blogspot.com

Homosexual Agenda Alive & Well

I happened to hear dialogue from the television between two brothas and I glanced at the screen to see that the channel was on BET (a station that I avoid whenever I can.) However, what enticed me about the conversation was the pace, tone, and rhythm I heard in the men's voices. It was almost comical. They were talking in a so-called jive. Too funny! Anyway, I later learned the movie was an autobiography of Little Richard, a world renown musician also known as the "architect" in Rock 'n Roll. The time period the acting in was late 1950s.

Now what was so interesting about the timing of this moment is I just so happen to watch some of this movie after researching about the homosexual agenda in America. The writing was definitely on the wall in this movie and the timing at which it aired, I had to call these things into question. Considering that it isn't black history month, Christmas is nearing (a holy holiday,) and this man is obviously up in age -- why now?! Typical of the homosexual agenda to draw attention on one's self and definitely not on God. From the pink Little Richard wore to the flamboyant way he moved his hands, he was definitely letting the world know who he was back in the 50s and still to this day. They even showed a bit where Little Richard was trying to get his life back by going to church (I guess that makes everything alright) only to get on stage and lose his robe (ie. lose his religion.) May I digress for a moment, but it is so easy to lose one's religion when you are going to church for self and others and not for the one true God. Anyway...

Maybe there was no agenda as far back as the 1950s for homosexuals given the way the men reacted to Little Richard in the movie, but there is definitely an agenda nowadays. It is one that is attempting to get spiritual black people (or those who call themselves Christians) to conform to an atheist and/or agnostic society -- a modern day Sodom and Gommorah. We should have seen this coming, how many times will someone who doesn't believe in God listen to someone who does? The devil is getting tired of being offended by God's people so now its time to get his minions to work overtime to pay believers back especially during the holiday season when he knows that we will be out and about talking and displaying God stuff!

Liberal blacks, hypocritical blacks, spiritual blacks, Christian blacks, ignorant blacks, and blacks who serve grandmama's god are falling for this mess! We entertain ourselves with abused cross dressing actors who have a disturbing view of what being a believer in Christ really means. We bob our heads to music that subliminally enters our minds and tells us to "love Satan, follow Lucifer, there is no God."

We are a confused people especially when we attend churches saying our, "God bless you...I'm blessed...pray for me..." What is wrong with us? Why are the movers and shakers in our community so ignorant to the devices of the enemy? When you call one's attention to foolishness, you know what people say, "Huh...what? Get outta here...you crazy...that's my man I love that song...that's my girl turn it up!...what he in a new movie I got to go check it out!" Then they go about the day like you ain't said a word!

There is a new order also known as a New World Order coming to a local government near you! Radio stations, newspapers, churches, colleges, public schools, businesses, civic groups even some of your old highschool friends are all a part of a new system that doesn't include God.

For decades, those at the top, have been planning and now many of their plans are being executed, thanks to a puppet that we all voted into office. He is easy on the eyes isn't he? He has smooth speech, doesn't he? He can wear those suits and stride a "fierce" walk, can't he? Like Oprah, he too believes, "there are all paths to God..." He is also working for some very powerful people as well. I saw a tabloid that accused him of being gay. Now why would they say that about our leader? Because he has been saying and doing some things from the time he took office that makes people question his belief system and sexual preference. Within the first 100 days of office he took care of the homosexuals and put a bill in place to protect them from abuse, but there was more to that bill then meets the eye particularly when he told anyone who was listening that the homosexual relationship would be recognized just like everyone else's.

We all are well aware of abuse of all kinds in our community and homosexuals are no exception, but just as those who choose to sleep with the same sex don't want someone coming into their bedroom with a Bible in hand, I don't want anyone coming into my bedroom telling me its okay to sleep with the same sex and that I should support their twisted ideologies. But that is exactly what they are doing when they glorify gay entertainers, writers, producers, etc. and give people who love the same sex certain privileges that they won't give others.

Just like the news media makes us become desensitised to murders by constantly bombarding us with them, so too are they working on us with the latest news in the gay community. Do you feel your beliefs are being tampered with after watching a commentator, talk show, or some other program on the subject of homosexuality? You feel "sorry" for the person who contracted AIDS from sleeping with his gay lover, don't you? You think it's okay your gay friend leads the choir and has partners in the church? It's alright to hang out in gay clubs, right? You go out of your way to befriend the gay guy or gay woman at work, don't you? You join in on coversation about gay subjects and suppress your views, correct? You are accepting of your gay relative's lifestyle and even invite them over for some conversation and chicken, don't you? Okay, well maybe not you, but someone you know does and if you ever attended a secular college, you know you were conditioned to be more open minded than the homosexual!

Do you find that liberal thinkers are telling you "to accept..." whatever moves and whatever is being said? You see, if you stand up for your beliefs, you will be deemed by others as being a homophobe. That's what I have been called. If you say, "I don't like that person because..." Then you are accused of being close-minded. That's why some of my old friends don't talk to me. You may say you don't care what people say, but the truth is that if money is involved, how many of us will sell out? I guess I will just stay broke. How many of us will use our talents to join with others to promote an agenda that the believer knows "ain't right!" We see evidence daily of those who have sold out.

Our favorite entertainers are promoting messages in every medium that are bigger then their ignorant minds can handle. Slavery still exists, its just more sophisticated nowadays. The auction block is now the stage, my friends. "How much you gonna pay to see your favorite singer, rapper, or actor do his or her thang?" so the conscious thinker asks. What will you do? Save that money and go see that play, movie, concert, or buy the DVD or CD. We all have been guilty, but when our eyes have been open to wrong doing, bad messages and the like, we are responsible for the knowledge that we receive.

We may have noticed in the entertainment industry that if an entertainer steps out of line and doesn't do as master wishes, instead of master beating him with a whip, he beats he or she over the head with fame and fortune so much that they look and act crazy! "You know your fans love you...do this for the fans...I will give you more money if you...I will give you another house just do...I will buy you another car if you would..." You feel me? Out in the open or behind closed doors from the bottom to the top, someone is kneeling, sucking, laying, and pumping for something.

What will some do for a Klondike bar? Only God knows...only god knows.


Nicholl McGuire

Posting Photo Online Invites the Racist to Have Something to Say

As long as I was an unknown on some of the websites I visited, I could visit and no one would have anything to say. But once I created a profile and added a photo, I became a target for the occassional "n" word comment.

Since I am a writer I know that what comes with the responsibility is negative opinions from others especially when one feels offended. An ignorant racist isn't going to have an intelligent debate; instead, he is going to call you the most hurtful words he can think of.

I have had my share of rude comments not only from racists, but "pretend" Christians too better known as hypocrites. The kind that only want to hear the feel good messages, but I am to stay away from any subject matter that encourages them to change their way of thinking and/or actions. If I go there then I am questioned about my faith in God and whether I am acting Christian like.

Before I uploaded my photo, I was thought to be a sexist white male or someone other than black. (LOL) I guess many of my white readership on some sites are disappointed, right? Wrong. Instead, many keep an open mind and read my posts anyway even if they don't agree. Some of their comments remain respectful while others come real close to crossing the line.

Well enough said on that, time to think of something else that will upset someone enough to call me the "n" word.

Nicholl McGuire
http://nichollmcguire.blogspot.com