Weekend Fabulousness

There was all kinds of fabulousness going on at this weekends Victoria's Secret fashion show.

I've never been a real fan of Selita Ebanks...but I must say, she did her thing. Fierce!

Of course, my girl Gabby showed up lookin fresh faced and fab. Love the shoes.

Usher brought along his sexy......he can't help it though.

Do your thing Ms. Ebanks!

Stay tuned....~E

My America

Last night my country reached a milestone.

My country elected Barack Obama.

Not Black America, not Young America....but America voted for Barack Obama.
Over the years people remember where they were or what they were doing when certain events happened: The MLK assasination, 9-11 and now the announcement of president elect Barack Obama.

I was working. Getting a soundbite from a democratic supreme court justice nominee who had just given me his concession speech. We were in a loud crowded restaurant. I was the only black person there--still non uncommon in many settings in Mississippi.

Anyway, as I was getting ready to walk out the door, the supreme court justice nominee's wife started yelling, "Oh my God, Oh My God!" She pointed at the screen and it read 'Barack Obama, President-Elect'

My eyes filled up with tears. People were cheeing, people were crying. I ran out to my car, sat inside and just thanked God.

Barack Obama has God's hand. To be able to inspire a people across party lines. He is truly an inspriration.

I got back to my conservative station. Where I witnessed a few eye-rolls, and shaking heads. But I wasn't surprised. I live in Mississippi, conservative Mississippi at that!

I edited my soundbite and quickly left...you know why: I was determined not to let anyone steal my moment.

I cried with family and friends. My great, great-grandmother participated in shut-ins. She lived in a segregated America. She died at 96, when I was 13 years old. But I know she is smiling and saying, "I told you so." She was a woman of hope.

My grandmother who is still alive, prosperous and very successful, recently told me stories of how she and her black friends had to dig in the trash of the white schools and get their old textbooks.

They would do this is the summers so that her friends could play school. Not knowing it would keep her ahead of her class and comparable to her white counterparts.

It's those stories that inspire me to work hard. I work hard for what I believe. And I believe in President Barack Obama.

To see tears from others who have pushed through America's boundaries: Oprah, Jesse Jackson, Spike Lee, Maya Angelou. All these people were moved to tears to say, "finally, finally, America gets it."
Change is good.

This morning Maya Angelous said it best, "It is overwhelming that my country has finally grown up,".

God bless you President Barack Obama. And God bless America.

Put Your Money Under Your Mattress$$$

After one of the country's biggest meltdowns on Wall St., my mattress is slowly becoming a safer place for me to stash my cash.

It seems as though Wall Street is crumbling before our eyes.

Now the in day six of this crisis, the feds are doing their part to try and save the market.

Leaders from both the House and the Senate were briefed on Thursday evening by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

The announcement is the latest stunning turn in an extraordinary six days that have rocked Wall Street. The crisis toppled two major firms - Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch. It also prompted an $85 billion government loan to stem the sudden collapse of insurance giant American International Group.

Now as people wonder what will happen to years of investing thier hard earned money, one must also wonder, where is our president?

I know his approval rating is next to nothing. However, this is a time when the American public needs to hear from our Commander in Chief.

So step up Mr. President, save the economy. I dare you.$$$

Stay Tuned... Elise

Gustav Grief...

Labor Day 2008 was different from any other Labor Day holiday I have experienced. There were no cookouts or bar-be-ques, no parades, no celebrations.

This year, I spent the weekend preparing for what could have been a catastrophic storm.

Gustav made landfall on the Gulf Coast this morning. Almost three years to the date that Hurricane Katrina shattered South Mississippi and cause the levees to break in New Orleans a day later.

I have never been in a hurricane, so waking up to my windows shaking from the 100 mph winds was a sound I hope I don't have to hear again.

The sound of rain pounding the roof, the whistling of the wind and sirens outside my door were quite scary.

Over the course of two days, I worked about 30 hours non stop. I interviewed people evacuating, members of the Mississippi National Guard and everyone in between.

The coast was a staging ground for the weather channel, CNN and every other large media outlet across the country.

My family and friends were glued to their TVs and PDAs waiting to see what Gustav would do to the coast.

Essentially both areas got large bands of rain and we are dealing with flooding. That will probably be the case over the next few days. But let me tell you...this is scary. To know in a flash, your whole life could chance within a matter of minutes.

It's scary because while the rest of the world is watching, I am that voice who is expected to remain calm and disseminate the information to the masses without breaking a sweat.

Now as the day winds down, I will go to sleep to a much different sound.

It's quiet here on the coast. Almost erie. There are faint sounds of frogs and the occasional gust of wind.

Other than that, we are now waiting for the next round of storms this hurricane season.

Before I left work tonight, I learned that Mother Nature is not letting up this season.

Hurricanes Hannah and Ike are already in motion.

Now people on the coast will take another deep breath in hopes that neither storm comes our way.

Stay Tuned...Elise

Mavens and Misfits - August Edition

To know me is to know I LOVE fashion.

However, I am not a label hound. I just like what looks best on me.

I truly believe in creating your own style...not following the trend.

I fell into the trend of ponchos and shrugs but I have since rid my closet of all the junk so that I can create my own personal style that will be timeless.

There are a few celebrities who nail it. There are also those who miss...by a longshot. So every month, I will give my picks on the fashion mavens and misfits.

I decided to kick off this month's blog with Michelle Obama.

No matter what your political views, you can't deny this woman's classy yet sassy style.

Michelle Obama gets her body and knows how to dress it.

She's been compared to the likes of Jackie O with a twist. I love how she manages to look pulled together whether she is on a stage or a beach.

Whether she's in a sheath dress (my fav) or a tank and slacks, Michelle is definitely the one to watch.

Now.........for the Fashion Misfit.....

What in the Jackson 5 hell is going on with the King of Pop?!!! This is a picture of him from Wednesday, August 27 at Planet Hollywood.

Yes..he was in a public place...in half tux, half pajama pant. This man is a prime example of how a maven can easily drift into a misfit.

Back in the day, Michael Jackson was THE style icon. My mom had one of those infamous Thiller jackets. So did just about every other person around the world. He had people walking out of the house with one glove (and if it was a glitter glove, you were the ish!)

Though his style wasn't for everyone, it was respected by all. To me, that's what style is all about. This mess... is just a bundle of laziness and craziness!

Get it together Michael!--

Those are my picks for this month. I would love for you to weigh in. Or, let me know who should make September's list for mavens and misfits.

Stay Tuned...Elise

Dating: Is White The New Black?

So I guess I'm going to blog myself crazy today....

But I was reading someone else's blog about dating people of different ethnicities. It's always been a touchy subject with me. However, today I wish to be enlightened. I am an un-married 28-year-old woman who has only seriously dated black men. None of the relationships have been successful. And unfortunately, I am the norm amongst black women throughout the country. 64% of black women are not married compared to 34% of white women.

But everyone seems to think the right one is out there.

Is he? .....Or is he in jail, not working, selling drugs, trying to be in the "entertainment industry", still living at home with his mama, married (but dating), not taking care of the children he's sprinkled across the country, or is obsessed with a big booty blasian, brazilian or white woman.

It's harsh...trust me, I know. But it's slowly becoming my reality when it comes to black men. I've encountered almost all of the above. Fortunately, I get a second look and often proposals of dating men of all different races. While some women say they aren't meeting anyone!

There is just something about a black man. His arrogance, his deep skin tone(yes I like the chocolate ones), his swagger, his determination. But those who are intimidated and use the "angry woman excuse" for not dating a black woman...is pathetic...and need not apply for this job.

Remember your mothers, your sisters and your grandmothers. They were probably all strong willed women. We are raised to be, because so many times we are left to raise our families alone...by the black man.

I am not bitter by those who have found love across culture lines but I do despise those who refuse to look twice at the black woman because of his own insecurities.

But the reality is many of our successful black men are dating and marrying other races: Quincy Jones, Taye Diggs, Reggie Bush, Don Cronelius, Terrell Owens, Charles Barkley, Cuba Gooding Jr, Ice T, Bryant Gumbel, Seal...the list goes on and on.

It's interesting because black men in my opinion are facinated with skin color, while white men who are attracted to black women don't have a preference.

So could Mr. Right be white? Some black women think so.

http://www.mandjshow.com/videos/interracial-relationships/

It's something that is becoming of great interest to the single black woman. ...Dating outside her race. However, it goes beyond black and white. What about a Hispanic man or a man of Asian decent????

Look at Halle Berry, Beverly Johnson, Tyra Banks, Venus Williams, Naomi Campbell. These are all women who have decided to look beyond color.

But can you look beyond culture? Can someone who doesn't look like me truly understand what it's like to be judged before I even utter a word???

I would looooove to hear from everyone, especially what white men think of black men dating white women. Women who have dated outside their race...and yes, the black man who doesn't mind being in an interracial relationship. ~E

Music Fix - "I Kissed A Girl"

One of the reasons I decided to create my own blog because my job as a journalist does not allow me to vent about what I really think of what's going on in our world.

One of the things I am currently disgusted with, is our music.

I can go on for days on the state of hip-hop and even r&b...but I decided to focus my first music post on a popular song by Katy Perry.

It's called "I Kissed a Girl".

The title in and of itself is catchy yet controversial.

Some argue that the song is about girl power.

Whatever!

I think this is a typical teen song gone WRONG. I know for sure that I wouldn't allow any daughter of mine to walk around singing a song about kissing another girl.

It's absurd. Yet, this song was not made for a 25 year old who is experimenting with life. It's a song that targets teens.

I was in a high school the other day and there were a group of girls walking down the hallway singing it. What does this say about music, what message does it send our children? Go ahead experiment??? Kiss your friend and see how it makes you feel so you can resonate with Katy Perry, a former Christian singer. Yea, she went from shouting for the Lord to feeling up a girl.

I don't know...I think it sucks...and it wouldn't be on any playlist of mine OR my child's! ~E

Eating Like A Champ

A week ago many Americans did not know who Michael Phelps was.

Now his name...is a household name.

Today, I learned something interesting...the 6'4", 195 pund 23 year old consumes about 12,000 calories a day.

Phelps has to keep his intake up in order to compensate for all the calories he burns during the 30-hours per week he spends in training.

Ladies, imagine what it would be like to be able to eat whatever you want. Everyday.

I think my diet would constist of french toast and heavy syrup for breakfast, cheese pizza for lunch, chocolate covered donuts for desert or whenever else I wanted them, and more pizza for dinner. Make that chicken pizza. Oh, and for my daily serving of fruits of vegetables: White chocolate covered strawberries and broccoli & cheese. That should do it.

Those are all the things on my current danger list. But hey, If I add another 25 hours a week to my current workout plan, I guess I too can eat like a champion.

Think you can top that? I would love to read your champion diet plan. ~E