If you could wake up as anyone tomorrow, who would it be?

Me...I have some rough days but all in all I'm happy being me...

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Methodical Rant: Local NAACP...is there nothing else for which you can fight?

I came into the office today and my supervisor asked me if I had heard anything about the noise ordinance proposal for our city. I had heard some snippets on the news and it hadn't held my attention. Why? One, I am not one who needs to have my music blasting so loud that it will not only make the windows of my car shake, but the windows of your car, as well as your home, shake too. Two, while it is an annoying and frustrating occurrence, there are other things on my mind that I find more important. According to this SJR article, the new ordinance will tow your car on the FIRST offense. I'm silly so my first thought was that the tow truck would have to chase me down because you're definitely not towing my car with me in it and the key in the ignition. I agree with Ryne Goodrich, the current law should be better enforced and the fines imposed on the offenders should be collected more efficiently. Towing a person's vehicle the first time out is completely unfair.

Anyway, my supe goes on to say that our local NAACP is fighting against the proposal, claiming that racial profiling will be used to stop "certain" people (i.e. African Americans). She said that she doesn't think it's a white or black issue because in her neighborhood, there are plenty of "punk white boys" blasting their music and rattling windows in the neighborhood at all hours of the night. I couldn't disagree with her on that point; truth is, African Americans are not the only ones blasting music. So in theory, the ordinance would affect everyone guilty of this irritating habit. That said, after reading this another SJR article, I understand where the NAACP is coming from with the objection to the new ordinance. If the police target a particular area, it is way more likely that African Americans will be affected more than any other group. However, my question for the local NAACP is this: "Is there nothing else for which you can fight?"

My mom has been dealing with a lot of discrimination while working for the county and her phone calls have gone unanswered. She has left message after message after message, asking for help regarding the racial discrimination running rampant in the county. No response from our local branch. According to a family friend who works for an answering service in town, they get tons, TONS, of calls for our local NAACP branch. But all they can do it relay the messages, it is up to the local NAACP to acknowledge the phone calls. So while they are worried about a noise ordinance, folks are working in hostile environments that cause some to simply quit, retire from, or even lose their positions! I'm biased, I know this, it is affecting my mom and it has me pissed off, but even in my bias I know I'm not overreacting. Archie Lawrence, the president of our local NAACP chapter, needs to get the organization's priorities lined up. Some things are worth fighting for, and this noise ordinance isn't one of them.

Methodical Product Junkie Review: The Clarisonic Mia

So, at the end of March I purchased the Clarisonic Mia after watching QVC (it also didn't hurt that they had the entire amount broken down into 3 payments...making it easier to work into my budget *smile*). There were several colors to choose from, so I chose the pink version since Clarisonic makes a donation to breast cancer research for every pink Clarisonic sold. My order was shipped and delivered in less than a week (I placed the order on 3/27 and it was waiting on my doorstep on 4/1).

According to the product description, the Clarisonic Mia is supposed to remove makeup, dirt, and oils six times more efficiently than regular cleansing (you know, using your hands to apply and massage the cleanser into your skin). The company also claims that the Clarisonic Mia reduces the appearance of pores and wrinkles. And, after cleansing with the Mia, your skin is supposed to be more receptive to moisturizers and serums. Sounds great, right? I was extremely excited to purchase the Mia and begin using it as apart of my daily cleansing ritual.

Once I removed it from it's packaging and read the instructions, I connected the Mia to it's charger (which is a really neat thing by the way). I began charging it that afternoon, which sucked since I wanted to use it immediately, but patience is a virtue. I used it the next evening, after giving it 24 hours as instructed. My order came with three different nonabrasive cleansers (normal to oily, all skin types, and normal to dry) as well as a replacement brush. It is important to note that when using the Mia, you are not supposed to use an abrasive cleanser with it. I'm not sure if it would be too much exfoliation or if the Mia would become clogged in some way, but the directions explicitly warn the user to refrain from using abrasive cleansers.

Now on to the good stuff!

Here's what my skin looked like before using the Clarisonic Mia:

Here's what my skin looks like after a month of using my Clarisonic Mia:

My breakouts have calmed somewhat; my skin is not as blemished as it was a month ago. The vibration of the bristles on the Mia seem to aid in exfoliation because my skin feels softer. I think that I may need to try a different cleanser, a nonabrasive one that affects acne breakouts. Another thing, my skin does seem to show the benefits of moisturizers and serums, but I will post a review on that later. I do not see a reduction in the appearance of my pores, which is one of the claims made by Clarisonic. I do not have any worries about wrinkles yet (thanks mom and melanin), so a reduction in the appearance of wrinkles is not applicable at this point.

All in all, I would recommend buying the Clarisonic Mia, but I am hoping that the improvements I have seen after five weeks of use will continue and after another few weeks my skin will be even more improved.