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...

Ask me anything

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.

Blogging from A to Z: Today's Letter...M for Mitrice Richardson...

In case you are unaware or, perhaps, have forgotten about this young woman, Mitrice Richardson is still missing. She has been missing since last September, after disappearing from the Malibu police station. I did a blog post about this a while back and you can read it here. Recently, a few things have occurred regarding this case; allegedly, there is a videotape of Richardson at the police station. This is "surprising" because the original claim by the police was that no videotape existed *side-eye*. According to the Malibu Surfside News, Richardson's mother, Latice Sutton, and a small group of others, were allowed to view this "non-existent" videotape. After the viewing, Sutton says, per Malibu Surfside News:

the video “supports [my] theory that [sheriff’s] officers could very likely be involved in my daughter’s disappearance.”

You can read the article here, but the gist is that the claims of the Malibu police station do not match up with what the videotape shows. Richardson looks agitated and is pulling at her hair, and rocking from side to side. This is a different picture than what the police painted originally. They said that they saw no signs of distress and that she seemed fine. They claimed this even after witnesses at the restaurant where she was arrested, said that she seemed to be under some sort of mental distress. Another cause for concern, is that the videotape allegedly shows an officer following Richardson out of the police department after she was released. So what happened after that? Did this officer see which direction she took? Did he speak to her? Did he offer to take her home? What happened? So far no answers. The family wants those who were at the station that night to be investigated and I can understand that completely, if for no other reason than the shady business regarding the "non-existent" videotape.

Another search occurred on March 28, this time in the Skid Row area of Los Angeles. Apparently, there have been "sightings" in that area, so a group volunteered to search the area. It made sense to search this area; according to Chip Croft, who was interviewed by the Los Angeles Times:

With numerous homeless shelters, single-room occupancy hotels and social service centers, skid row is a place where someone like Richardson, who is thought to have had no money and may have been suffering from emotional problems, might end up...

In my earlier blog post, a commenter, arlee, brought up the idea of questioning the homeless community. Since many homeless people tend to have mental health issues, searching the Skid Row area for missing persons was a smart move. If it had been done sooner, maybe there would have been better results. The family of Richardson is also interested in questioning a man who was recently arrested for the sexual assault of a Malibu woman. Apparently this man, Christian Marcus Verdin, was living in the homeless community around the time that Richardson disappeared. Most recently, a drone aircraft was used to search the area surrounding the police station. According to the Malibu Surfside News, this drone was able to search areas that were unreachable by the search teams. The family is currently waiting for the results of this particular search.

Mitrice Richardson is out there, somewhere; my hope is that Mitrice is found, alive, and reunited with her family. I truly with the media would get on top of this case and put pressure on the police department to produce results. The shadiness of the videotape situation should cause concern  and be worthy of some media coverage. What the hell happened the night that Mitrice Richardson left that Malibu police station?

Blogging from A to Z: "L" is for Library of Congress & LOL!

I was on one of my favorite sites today, Twitter, when someone sent out a tweet that said the Library of Congress will be archiving all public tweets, from March 2006 on forward. That's right, folks! If you thought Twitter was nothing more than sh*ts and giggles, you are WRONG! And, according to their website, the Library of Congress wants to congratulate you:

Have you ever sent out a “tweet” on the popular Twitter social media service? Congratulations: Your 140 characters or less will now be housed in the Library of Congress.

That's right! Congratulations go out to all those people out there "tweeting" a ton of foolishness! And I'm not talking about your average jokes. I'm talking about stuff that would make your elders blush and cut their eyes as you. Hey all you "Wang Wednesday" people you're about to be a part of history! And we can't forget those "Twitter After Dark" tweets! Oh this is such hilarity! I can't help but laugh out loud and shake my head at those who don't think it necessary to do a little self-censorship when tweeting. Now, don't get me wrong, are there some of my own tweets that I'm not thrilled about being archived? Hmmmm...no actually I feel pretty cool about it all' I haven't posted anything that I would be embarrassed by or would not want to stand by, so the idea of archiving my tweets doesn't faze me at all. But, I can say that I'm glad I haven't been reckless with my digital fingerprints; once you put stuff out there on the Internet, it's pretty much a wrap. This is how I've approached the entire social networking issue. If you don't want it known, better keep it to yourself.

photo credit: Jacqui Sadler on Flickr

Dewy's 24-Hour Read-A-Thon: Final Update (yeah I know...)

I know that the read-a-thon ended Sunday, but I was so sleepy! Every time I considered posting this update, my bed looked so much more welcoming. I spent Sunday napping, off and on, and Monday I had to get back to work and school, so today I am posting my feelings on the second book I read, Cornered. First, here's the book description:

With Nowhere To Run. . .
Corey Webb is living the American dream—successful business, beautiful wife, gifted daughter—but the dream he worked so hard to achieve is about to become a nightmare. When a chance encounter brings him face to face with the dark past he'd long since left behind, Corey knows the threat to his life and family could be deadly.
. . .It's Do Or Die
Unpredictable, intelligent, and terrifyingly ruthless, Corey's stalker will settle for nothing less than complete submission. He'll stop at nothing, and sacrifice anyone, to get what he wants. There's no point in running, no chance of hiding, and no hope for Corey and his family to escape unscathed. . .

I really enjoy Massey's books; he always writes something full of tension, that keeps you turning pages until you finish the book. This had much of that, but there were definitely scenes that had me upset at the characters. I guess being mad at fictional characters means that the book pulled me in (smile). The parents in this book, Corey and Simone, often made me want to throw the book across the room. Their daughter, Jada, seems to be the brightest one in the bunch and often has some of the most tension-filled scenes involving an especially creepy character. There is a nice twist in the story, but I won't go into much detail because I don't believe in spoiling stories for others. That said, I would recommend reading this book, if only for a quick read (I finished reading this one in about 7 hours).

If I were to compare the two books I read for this event, I would say that the second book is a winner. It got straight to the action and did not slow down the pace with a bunch of unnecessary characters, of which the first book is guilty.Thanks to all who cheered me on! I truly enjoyed participating in the read-a-thon and plan to participate in the next one in October. October is perfect for staying in and reading books, so I'm looking forward to that. Happy reading everyone!

Blogging from A to Z: "I" for Investing...I'm finally doing it...

That's right; after years of proclaiming I was unable to invest and begin to build wealth for my future, I have decided to buckle down and invest. It was a difficult decision, but after thinking about all the money I've been known to waste on things that amount to nothing, I knew it was time. It also didn't hurt that, about a month ago, a study reported that the median wealth for single black women was about five dollars. Five dollars? Now, whether that is true or not is irrelevant, in my opinion. Yes, I know that results can be skewed and that sample populations may not be the most representative, especially if the people performing the research slack on their responsibilities. That said, I can still find a kernel of helpful information in this study. While my wealth is much higher than the median, I can most definitely do better.

So I'm starting off small; I opened a Sharebuilder account since they're offering a $50 bonus when you open an account. Also, since I'm an Inbox Dollars member, I will receive $15 dollars in my Inbox account. Pretty nice deal from what I can tell. I still have a lot of research ahead of me; stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and all that other financial-speak kind of goes over my head, but if I put in the work, I know it will become clear for me. Scared money don't make money (I remember hearing that somewhere). I have to take some risks, smart risks, but risks nonetheless. I'm young, single, and have no extreme responsibilities to anyone but myself, so there is no excuse for not investing in my future.

Dewy's 24-Hour Read-A-Thon: Update #3

*yawning*

Well folks, I sit here on my bed proud, daylight glowing through the curtains. I finished my second book for the read-a-thon with a little time to spare. I read Cornered by Brandon Massey; it was 376 pages and it gripped me from beginning to end. I'll discuss more about this later today, in a final read-a-thon update. I'm exhausted...


Good night...or good morning...whatever one would say when going to sleep after the sun is already up...zzzzzzzzzzzzz...

Dewy's 24-Hour Read-A-Thon: Update #2

Hey everyone! I just wanted to check in briefly and let you all know that this book The Company We Keep actually picked up the pace! It became much more interesting once the focus shifted to where it should have in the first place ("Terri" and "Harrison"). I ate a light dinner while reading and sipped on some wine. That said, the book improved before I had the wine, so don't think that the alcohol made things seem better (smile). I have less than 40 pages to go and then I will start on another book. Perhaps I will be able to finish it before the read-a-thon ends, perhaps not, but either way, this has been a fun challenge. I'll check in again later! Happy reading!