Is technology ruining dating?

What I mean is, are we too accessible nowadays? Used to be that we could only get in touch with that guy or gal by picking up the phone or meeting up. That way, the rest of your day was boo-free and full of work, spending time with friends or just spending time with yourself (a highly underrated activity).

But today…? Man, forget about it. There’s text messaging, email, and instant messaging. Oh, and don’t forget about MySpace, Facebook, Linked In, whatever. Blogs, Flickr accounts, Google! We are more accessible now than ever and it could be screwing up how we date.

Is it permissible to IM him/her just because you see that they’re online? What if you’ve already talked to her the night before, commented on her Facebook profile that morning, replied to an email and sent a “good morning boo” text? How much contact is too much?

And it’s too easy to fall into the techno-trap. We’re all out there, aren’t we? I’m totally plugged in to the matrix. I’d mostly rather text you than talk to you. I have email and AIM on my phone, which practically stays ON. Sometimes I forget that even though I’m logged on nearly 24hours, everyone isn’t. Shoot, even if they are, I KNOW it doesn’t mean that they’re available to me.

They (whoever they are) say absence makes the heart grow fonder. They (damn, there they go again) say that when dating, it’s good to let him/her miss you a little bit. Everyone likes a little chase, right? Is technology cutting out the chase?

Or is the technology helping? Perhaps texting and instant messaging allows us to send short messages throughout the day without an interrupting phone call (which is probably full of empty chit chat anyway). Then there’s the whole exciting world of the naughty text, which could only be a GOOD thing, right? The technology of today has expanded the dating pool. Now instead of relying on the clubs in your neighborhood or your friends to set you up, you can meet a guy/gal in another state or country.

Wait… scratch everything I just said about the positives of technology and dating. I just remembered one thing: The DRUNK TEXT. The drunk text has singlehandedly convinced me that technology is bad for dating. I, myself, have been a casualty of eight too many drunk texts (and emails as of late). Nothing like texting some dumb shit you can’t take back after a night of dirty martinis to make you consider logging off for good.

I’d send a card, but stamps are high…

Whether you’re only here once looking for Will Smith pictures or you visit everyday, I appreciate it.

Who knew people would actually read my brain’s overflow and leftovers. The fluff, the pontificating, the random yahmeanery.

Y’all come back now, y’hear?

This is for “the Arruh”

No, I’m not talking about R. Kelly. I mean my girl who was miffed I didn’t put a shirtless pic of LL up in my Father’s Day DILF post.

So here you go, girl. Don’t say I never did anything for ya!

Yo, you mean to tell me this man was born in 1968? I mean, that’s not OLD, but DAMN… He looks better than ever (see).

I think I lost ¾ of my male readers.

PUMAs

No, not this:

Or this:

Or them:

PUMA is the acronym for a new “political party” and it stands for “Party Unity My Ass“. From what I can tell, they’re a group of Democratic Hillary Clinton supporters (in the primary) who are NOT for Obama even though he clinched the Democratic Party’s nomination. Check out this selection from The Confluence:

We will fill the role that the superdelegates have abrogated. It is our job to say “no”. We do not want to lose in 2008. We do not want another four years of Republican rule. We want 4 years of intelligence, competence and courage in a time of what will surely be a very critical time in our nation’s history. Terrorism is still out there. There are two wars going on. Our military is stretched so thinly that our national security is compromised. We have an energy crisis and many families are hurting. Our financial institutions got themselves over their heads. And there is a serious environmental catastrophe at hand in global warming.

Happy (single and) Independence day!

Swiped from the good people over at The Frisky, “Top 10 Best Things About Being Single and Independent,” I decided to weigh in. I am, after all, single.

In honor of Independence Day, we asked around for the best things about being single and independent. Here’s the top ten!

10. HOOKING UP
“Kissing total strangers when you’re out at bars or on dance floors. No names, no numbers exchanged, just random frenching.”—Sonia
“Ahh, guiltless, shameless flirting with strangers.”—Jocelyn

Well, I can’t say this is all that it’s cracked up to be. I have never in my 26 years on this earth, randomly made out with someone at a bar or club. Never. I kind of want to try and see though. I mean, what’s all the fuss about? Kinda um, unsanitary right?

9. BEING SELFISH
“Planning for the future without having to consider anyone else.”—Josh
“Having the whole bed to yourself. It’s just amazing.”—Kellie

This is nice. I love taking up the whole bed, drinking out of the carton when I want to, eating the last of the Fruity Pebbles, and only having to think about what I want today and tomorrow.

8. NOT HAVING TO LIE
“Not having to pretend you have your period when you don’t want to have sex.”—Leo
“I don’t have to pretend I’m okay with a guy’s morning breath. Seriously, boys. Brush your teeth. Just ‘cause I love you doesn’t mean I love your halitosis.”—Aimee

HAHA @ pretending to have your period. Never done that, but I do appreciate not having to think all of the time about whether I am doing something that I’m going to have tell my significant other in bits and pieces. Selective truth-telling, you know.

7. FREEDOM
“You can do whatever the hell you want, when you want, and not have to care about someone else. Wanna go out for drinks after work and get sloshed? You don’t have to call and make sure it’s okay.”—Delilah
“You can flit around from party to party and bar to bar on the 4th—and any other night—without having to worry about another person.”—Lesley

Flirting is like, a favorite pastime of mine. It is nice to not have to worry about whether I’d be offending my SO by batting my eyelashes at a guy for a dirty martini or 4.

6. FARTING
“Really not having to hide a single bodily function, ever.”—Danielle
“Not having to run to the Starbucks down the street in order to take a crap.”—Megan

Amen.

5. SELF-LOVE
“Uninterrupted masturbation time.”—Erin
“Being able to surf YouPorn and XTube and TotallyNSFW without having to clear the cache afterwards.”—Maggie

Why is it that when you want to masturbate, a guy wants to cut in like you silently invited him to your party for one? Let me get mines super quick and with minimal mess. Thank ye.

4. LEISURE
“Being free to try on 500 outfits before going out without having anyone witness how neurotic you can be.”—Fiona
“Watching Sex and the City reruns, America’s Next Top Model marathons, and, like, Evita, without anyone hassling you about it.”—Sara

Men complain a lot about you wanting to do “girl” things. You shop too long. You watch dumb movies. You talk about silly things with your girlfriends. SO WHAT! I don’t say jack about you playing GTA all night with your boys!

3. GROOMING, OR LACK THEREOF
“I haven’t shaved in a week.”—Liza
“I like to pick at my dry feet while I watch TV. Can’t do that when there’s a dude around.”—Claire

This should be number one. When you’re seeing someone, you have to up your hair-removal routine. Also, for some reason, men like to watch me brush my teeth. Dude, flossing is NOT sexy. Back up. Once, a dude watched me wash some period blood off the inside of my thigh…

2. SELF-REFLECTION
“You’re just doing your own thing and being single is all about instant gratification.”—Simcha
“When you don’t have to think about another person’s feelings, there’s a lot of extra time to spend doing the stuff you love, reading books, pursuing your interests, and, you know, being a happy person all on your own.”—Annalee

Really, sometimes you don’t want to think about someone else and you need to spend time growing. Finding out who you are. It really will just make you a better person when you DO meet a guy you’re into.

1. SEX
“Being single is like having access to a buffet; you don’t have to commit to ordering one dish and you can make out/hook up/have sex with people who have different styles of making out/hooking up/having sex.”—Katie
“Guilt-free promiscuity, baby.”—Laurie

Enough said.

Got anything else to add?

Blue Magic

No, not this:

THIS:

Yep, good old Blue Magic Conditioner … Hair Dress (wtf is the “…” for?). I visited home this past weekend and saw a big jar of Blue Magic chilling on the sink at my aunt’s crib. Man, I can’t tell you the last time I felt the need to grease my scalp, particularly with something so thick and heavy! Growing up, however, this stuff was a staple in our house. Pretty much in every home I visited in my neighborhood, someone had a jar of Blue Magic in its blue or oddly-named green version. The ingredients in Blue Magic are: Petrolatum , Lanolin , Lecithin , Mineral Oil , Fragrance , and some blue stuff (Green 6 , Violet 2).

 

Nowadays, I don’t put much of anything in my hair after I leave the salon. When I wear a natural style, I use Aveda products or some local stuff like Buttershine from Salon E’tae.

 

By the way, if you’re in Philly I suggest you stop by for some of the products. They used to have a salon, but if you call, they can tell you the other salons in the area who are E’tae Concept Salons, meaning they use the E’tae method and products. If you’re outside of Philly, just order the stuff. I promise it’s GREAT!

 

 

Still, I couldn’t help but open the jar and take a whiff of that good old, familiar Blue Magic smell. Ahhhhh. Memories.

Milk

This post is an oldie but goodie, in my opinion. I posted it a while ago when I used to MySpace blog. I still think it’s relevant. I still dislike milk.

White Poison

by Shanti Rangwani

Got milk? If not, then thank your lucky stars. Because if you do, medical research shows that you are likely to be plagued by anemia, migraine, bloating, gas, indigestion, asthma, prostate cancer, and a host of potentially fatal allergies–especially if you are a person of color.

Ignoring this, the government declares that milk is essential to good health, subsidizes the milk industry to the tune of billions of dollars, and requires milk in its public school lunch programs. And celebrity shills sporting milk mustaches tell us that milk is rich in proteins, calcium, and vitamins–and very cool to boot.

They forget to tell you about the dangers lurking in that innocuous-looking glass of white. Once criticized only by naturopaths and vegans, now the health effects of milk are being decried by many mainstream doctors. The supposedly hip milk mustache is actually a creamy layer of mucus, live bacteria, and pus.

Watermelon: gooder than you thought.

OHHHHHHHHHHH! Man, they say there is a little truth to every stereotype, but now there’s science to back it up. You know that stereotype/myth about the virile, big, Black, buck? Jezebel? Those hyper-sexualized Black men and women? Well, just blame it on watermelon.

Watermelon, that sweet, juicy, red, black, and green (omigod! Is THAT where the African-American flag colors come from?!?!) goodness is like nature’s Viagra! Sweddagod. See:

ScienceDaily (July 1, 2008) — A cold slice of watermelon has long been a Fourth of July holiday staple. But according to recent studies, the juicy fruit may be better suited for Valentine’s Day. That’s because scientists say watermelon has ingredients that deliver Viagra-like effects to the body’s blood vessels and may even increase libido.

[...] Beneficial ingredients in watermelon and other fruits and vegetables are known as phyto-nutrients, naturally occurring compounds that are bioactive, or able to react with the human body to trigger healthy reactions, Patil said.In watermelons, these include lycopene, beta carotene and the rising star among its phyto-nutrients – citrulline – whose beneficial functions are now being unraveled. Among them is the ability to relax blood vessels, much like Viagra does.

Scientists know that when watermelon is consumed, citrulline is converted to arginine through certain enzymes. Arginine is an amino acid that works wonders on the heart and circulation system and maintains a good immune system, Patil said.

“The citrulline-arginine relationship helps heart health, the immune system and may prove to be very helpful for those who suffer from obesity and type 2 diabetes,” said Patil. “Arginine boosts nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, the same basic effect that Viagra has, to treat erectile dysfunction and maybe even prevent it.”

[...] As an added bonus, these studies have also shown that deep red varieties of watermelon have displaced the tomato as the lycopene king, Patil said. Almost 92 percent of watermelon is water, but the remaining 8 percent is loaded with lycopene, an anti-oxidant that protects the human heart, prostate and skin health…

**I shamelessly added this picture of WILL SMITH WITH NO SHIRT ON/TOPLESS/WET because I get a ton of hits on this blog from people searching for WILL SMITH.
It’s not so bad though. I’m pretty sure Willy eats watermelon. I’d bet my kidneys on it. Yeah, both of them. And look, he’s got no problem with impotence. You see that tribe he drags to every movie premier?

American Pie - enough already!

What’s the deal with all of these American Pie movie spin-offs? The first one was admittedly funny. It was unexpected and kind of ushered in a rash of crass, teenage comedies. Believe it or not, there was once a time when Tara Reid was cool and fucking a pie was plausible. We all know what American Pie was all about, the four friends make a pact to lose their virginity. Not a fresh concept, but funny nonetheless. I think it was kept fresh by a well-placed flute story. American Pie became a trilogy with American Pie 2 and American Wedding.

I thought they went too far after the sequel, but nope. These losers went ahead and hit up the straight-to-video market. Yep, we now have film gems such as American Pie Presents: Band Camp, American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile and American Pie Presents: Beta House.

The link through all these movies is the Stifler clan. In all of the American Pie Presents movies, there’s some Stifler brother or cousin. They carry on the horny asshole legacy started by the original Stifler. Unfortunately for those lames, no one can do Stifler like Seann William Scott.

WHY?

Tell the truth. Have you seen these movies. I’ll admit, I was inspired to make this post after seeing The Naked Mile come on. I’m 4% stupider now.

These movies suck, yo. They just glorify reckless sex and dangerous drinking. I’d blame American Pie before Grand Theft Auto for the problems with today’s youth.

Tilt, Tuck & Tighten!

If you watch the infomercial channel or stay up really late, you’ve probably seen this infomercial for fitness. I was eating my cereal one morning and turned to the infomercial channel for kicks. I got what I was looking for.

So this workout is supposed to be for people who find “regular” exercise boring and ineffective. The claim to fame is that you do not have to do a traditional sit-up or crunch to get rock hard abdominals. So how do you do it? By grooving to hot hip-hop tunes and following Shaun T’s “3 T’s”, Tilt, Tuck, Tighten!!

Um, okay. Well let’s break this down a little bit. You got your man Shaun T. His only qualifications to lead a workout seem to be his body (can’t go wrong there), his race (appears to be Black), his chessiness, and his poor grasp of the English language (”I don’t gotta do no situps or no crunches!”).

Hey, I’m Shaun T. You might not know it now, but I used to be 50 pounds heavier. I lost the weight just by dancing and having fun with my Hip Hop Abs program. That’s right, I got these flat, amazing abs without getting on the floor.

I can’t wait to share my fitness and diet secrets with you. I’ll show you my “Tilt, Tuck & Tighten” technique for six-pack abs and burning the fat off your entire body! And don’t worry if you can’t dance, I’ll teach you my moves, step by step, and you’ll be ready to hit the clubs in your hot new body in no time!