Sarah Harvard is the editor of www.define-liberty.com; here is a link to her

website: www.sarahharvard.com.

Q: What made you interested in politics?

A: I really hate pulling this card, but I honestly believe that the fact that I am the first generation American had really instill this passionate interest in politics. I have witnessed first hand the ugliness of prejudice, discrimination, invasion of private property, and the infringement upon civil liberties. My parents were also always very supportive of me when it comes to voicing my opinion. I would remember that in the kitchen table or car rides back from swim practice there would be a discussion over politics. I also believe that the fact that I find politics filled with corruption do I find interest in being aware and standing up for what is right, because no one will give you your liberty. You have to take it.

Q: What is your background in journalism?

A: I have always been an avid writer since middle school. I would write poems about the ills of society and persuasive papers over certain political issues. What really started my career in journalism was taking a journalism class my junior year of High School. By my senior year, I was a reporter for the Chicago Tribune’s teen edition. My op-ed would win many awards like the Enterprise’s Journalist of the Year Award, NISPA Blue Ribbon Award in Editorial Writing, and then placing first in the nation in sports writing for the Newspaper Association of America. Now, as I complete my sophomore year in university, I have started an independent international media organization and had my op-eds published in Antiwar.com, Students For Liberty, Young Americans for Liberty, BuzzFeed, and the Nation. I am also the co-Editor-in-Chief of American University’s student run magazine — The American Word.

Q:  What do you think is the biggest misconception about President Obama’s foreign policies?

A: I often like to quote President Obama in his 2009 Cairo Speech:

“In Ankara, I made clear that America is not — and never will be — at war with Islam.  We will, however, relentlessly confront violent extremists who pose a grave threat to our security — because we reject the same thing that people of all faiths reject:  the killing of innocent men, women, and children. ”

Without a doubt, the people of Afghanistan, Yemen, Pakistan, Somalia, and Libya would find the President hypocritical of his words. I think the biggest misconception about President Obama’s foreign policy is that he still is the embodiment of peace and change for this nation. It really frustrates me, as someone who was a former Obama supporter, for the American people to be so naive or so silent when the President has irresponsibly ordered four times as much drone strikes and had waged a more destructive war on drugs. People often point to the President’s speech in the American University in Cairo about extending a hand to the Muslim world, but in reality, he has jerked his hand back and had created more flames of extremism in the Arabian Peninsula and Southeast Asia.

Q:  You have worked for the Chicago Tribune what was the biggest challenge about writing for a corporately owned newspaper?

A: I loved my time at the Trib. My editors were amazing and we still remain in contact to this day. However, i’d say that my biggest challenge is the fact that there wasn’t a lot of freedom to write what I had wanted. There were advantages like interviewing T.I and Mayor Rahm Emanuel, but there were great disadvantages when I wouldn’t be able to write an op-ed on the War on Terror or Immigration policy.

Q:  What were some of the benefits?

A: Like I mentioned earlier, the great benefits of writing for a highly established corporate newspaper was the exposure and the high profile events. I had been on various radio shows and had attended red carpet movie screenings, the Chicago Mayoral Debate, high profiled press conferences, and fancy receptions with Chicago’s most influential leaders.

Q:  What is the primary difference between a political blogger and a political journalist?

A: I truly believe that journalism is one of the most noble occupations that an individual can earn. I find it that in journalism that the pen can work mightier than the sword and instigate a revolution. I believe that a political journalist must find the true facts at hand and report or provide commentary without any manipulation of data or research. I realize that most political bloggers write for solely their own exposure and often provide subjectivity in topics at hand. I find many bloggers manipulate research and data to prove their point or offer controversial statements — and perhaps it isn’t fair for me to generalize all bloggers.

And perhaps I have a traditional view on journalism vs blogging. I think it’s easy to just “blog” or write up your own opinion, but it takes a journalist to research, investigate, and provide data for their opinion piece or news piece. And it is also important to note that while all journalists may be bloggers, not all bloggers may be journalists. That does not preclude bloggers from committing an act of journalism.

Q:  What inspired you to start Define-Liberty.com?

A: I was really frustrated without the limitations and censorship over my voice through journalism. In addition, I never was fond of corporate media. There is so much manipulation and corporatism involved in media and I realized that many students of journalism found themselves stuck in their options. I grew up watching CNN and MSNBC, and now, I realized how I am appalled at how CNN can consider themselves “the most trusted name in news” or how MSNBC can consider themselves journalists.

It is no doubt that our generation will face the challenges of tomorrow, and I find it a duty of mine as a member of society, to contribute to ensuring that our information doesn’t become misinformation so we can take correct actions and become victorious for the benefit of humanity.

Q:  What is the “new intellectual revolution”?

A: The new intellectual revolution is the voice of the youth taking matters into their own hands. The ideas that were derived from Friedrich Hayek, Lysander Spooner, Robert Nozick, Voltaire, Victor Hugo, and the like all compiled into a 2.0 version. The new intellectual revolution is the message of unlimited liberties, less authority implemented into our politics, culture, and way of life.

Q:  What causes anti-intellectualism?

A: Apathy, reluctance, and ignorance. Individuals often loose themselves in their own lives without ever realizing that their lives are being affected through our societal and political framework. The mentality of “you only live once” or “live fast die hard” has really plagued the optimism for intellect.

A lot of individuals are also unwilling to learn more about the “other”. They often stick to their comfort zone and refuse to receive any further knowledge of other groups within their society, yet make arguments and claims based upon their emotions — and not with logic and reason. In addition, they only listen to their favorite politician and take their word as their commandment. They are often reluctant to admit the wrongs of their favorite politician or idol.

With apathy and those who are reluctant, ignorance plagues society. When controlled tragedies occur, society isn’t sure about their motives and will often blame things in a collectivist stand point. They don’t look at the historical and political context as to why these tragedies and attacks occur. It is only until we understand the contextual information and refrain from making those same mistakes can we find ourselves at peace and free from our enemies.

Q: What do you think it would take to get the American public to elect a third party candidate to the presidency?

A: That’s a difficult question to ask for someone who consciously doesn’t vote. The reason I don’t vote is that my vote doesn’t matter in a two party system. I think people are so accustomed and apathetic to the reality of the two-party system that they often don’t even care for a multi-party system. The two party system establishes a voting for the “lesser evil” habit that has done nothing more than elect the same leaders with the same policies into office. If individuals started to really think critically and don’t think about the popularity of their vote, and vote for what they believe is in the best interest of themselves and society as a whole on issues — then we can see a chance for a welcoming idea of a third candidate.

Please note; Eliza’s interviews are done by email. All answers are unedited and come right from the lovely fingertips of her subjects:)

You know how sometimes you can be mucking around and something just hits you hard on your head and sends you straight to “O!” heaven? I got lucky today. It all began with Cynthia of Words + Images liking a recent post of mine. I got curious about her blog, snooped around a bit, found some gorgeous photography and links. Got curious about a link and the next thing I know, I was reading an excerpt from The True Secret of Writing by Natalie Goldberg about, well, writing and getting hit hard on the head. Express service to “O!” heaven!

An Excerpt from What is Practice?
It’s something you choose to do on a regular basis with no vision of an outcome;the aim is not improvement, not getting somewhere. You do it because you do it. You show up whether you want to or not. Of course, at the beginning it’s something that you have chosen, that you wanted, but a week, a month in, you often meet resistance. Even if you love it, inertia, obstacles arise: I can make better use of my time, I’m tired, I’m hungry, this is stupid, I need to listen to the evening news. Here’s where you have an opportunity to meet your own mind, to examine what it does, its ploys and shenanigans. That’s ultimately what practice is: arriving at the front — and back door — of yourself. You set up do something consistently over a long period of time — and simply watch what happens with no idea of good or bad, gain or loss. No applause — and no criticism.

This is exactly what I need to do. PRACTICE. Even when I am not inspired, even when I meet resistance and am overly-critical of myself despite whatever I said in my minifesto and here.

Goodness knows where I’ll be with yet another declaration of commitment. Let’s see after 2 months shall we?

]]> http://luchessa.wordpress.com/2013/05/21/fmsphotoaday-day-21-i-care-about-this/ Tue, 21 May 2013 02:15:26 +0000 Luchessa http://luchessa.wordpress.com/2013/05/21/fmsphotoaday-day-21-i-care-about-this/ http://selahjanel.wordpress.com/2013/05/20/jk-asmodeus-is-at-it-again/ Tue, 21 May 2013 01:47:33 +0000 admin http://selahjanel.wordpress.com/2013/05/20/jk-asmodeus-is-at-it-again/ I haven’t talked about In the Red for a while, so it’s always fun when I’m invited to delve into the story that I love so much. This time, my friend and amazing blogger Amy invited me to do a character post about summer plans. Of course, being the media whore that he is, JK Asmodeus reared his head and jumped at the opportunity.

So what constitutes a rock star’s summer plans? Does he actually plan to take some sort of high-end vacation or is he going to go skulking off to some of the more sundry spots in the globe?

Like I’d tell. See what JK Asmodeus is getting up to and how I deal with his unique brand of answering interview questions HERE

And, so, apparently, there are rules to this which I will copy and paste from The Runaway Dilettante.

Of course, The Liebster Award is more of a metaphorical award, and as one blogger poignantly explained: “The real “gist” of the Liebster Award is that there is no real award. There are no judges, no special rules. No website with an official team to congratulate you and hold your hand. It’s mostly what you want it to be. If you receive the award, you can 1) accept it and 2) pass it along. It’s that easy.”

And I am excited to take a part in the process and pass it along to eleven other new bloggers (as the customary guidelines state). Here are the rules for nomination:

Post eleven facts about yourself.

Answer the questions the tagger has set for you and create eleven questions for people you’ve nominated.

Choose eleven people (with fewer than 200 followers) to give this award to and link them in your post.

Go to their page and tell them.

Remember, no tag backs.

I don’t know what a tag back means. Is it possible to break the rules if I don’t even know how to do it?

Anyway, I’m going to at least answer the eleven questions that was asked of me and put eleven facts about myself. With regards to nominate another blog, I’m not sure. I don’t read that many and the ones that I do have more than two hundred followers, for sure. I’m guessing. I’m not in the best position to nominate other bloggers.

But I’m not a killjoy. So, I’ll do my part since I am accepting the award anyway, because I don’t know what to write here.

So here goes nothing:

Eleven Things About Me:

1) I didn’t read start reading books until I was fourteen. I was a late bloomer. I have a family of readers and they were aghast when they found out I didn’t like to read. My sister even bought easy books for me, sat me down, and read to me like I was a four year old. I was twelve or thirteen at the time. The first book I ended up reading (that I remember) was Call of the Wild by Jack London and then I proceeded with Michael Crichton and Stephen King. When I got to university, I majored in Literature and ended up reading heavy, serious books and I would like to think I’ve caught up, if not in quantity, at least in quality.

2) I have never suffered from a hang-over in my whole life and I have an illustrious drinking career. I used to be allergic to alcohol but I kept drinking until I was no longer allergic and in my early twenties (all the way to my late twenties), I was a party-boy. I drank a lot and, though, I can count in one hand how many times I’ve passed out, no matter how wild that night had been, I can safely say I never woke up the next day suffering from a hang-over. Never.

3) It takes me forever to fall asleep, even if I’m really tired. The lights are off, I’m in bed, I’m hugging my pillow, my eyes are closed but my mind begins to race with 800 thoughts per second. It takes me anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours before I finally drift off to sleep.

4) I think the best dessert in the whole world is a banana split. I’ve eaten a lot of great and amazing desserts and I love chocolate but nothing compares to the magnificence of three scoops of ice cream and a banana. Nuts, cherry and chocolate syrup is optional. Even the pineapple bits. But a banana split can salvage any day for me.

5)  I don’t like drinking from straws. I haven’t consciously or actively drank from straws since college. I read somewhere that drinking from a straw promotes gas. So I never drank from straws.

6) I love chocolate mints. Chocolate with mint is proof there is a God. I can get orgasms from taking a bite of a chocolate mints (obviously a metaphor; don’t take it seriously).

7) I self-taught myself how to type. So I’m a super fast typist. I go over 56 words a minute which is the average speed but I use the wrong fingers. I don’t use my little fingers and my fingers float all over the keyboard. And I like typing fast because I like the clicking sounds the keyboard makes.

8) I force myself to like all kinds of food. If I try something that I don’t like, I take a mental note of it and will try it again after a few months. And I will continue trying it until I like it. I used to be an utterly picky eater. Now, I eat everything and will try everything once. Surprisingly, it didn’t take me long to learn to like ampalaya.

9) I started watching movies when I was four years old. My Dad would gather us kids, back in the day, and we’d all watch movies together. We would, back in the day, watch six or seven films all weekend in my parent’s room.

10) I don’t do competitive team sports because I’m very competitive. I turn into my Mr. Hyde. I have to win and I go crazy if I do anything that losses a point for my team. I trash talk like a filthy sailor and I become an irrational hot-head. I totally become this awful, disgusting thing. So I try to avoid team sports as much as possible because I don’t like letting Mr. Hyde out.

11) I love Japan. I love anything and everything Japanese. I want to be able to learn Japanese and live in Japan for, at least, 2 years. I think that would be so cool. And I think Human Tetris is the funniest thing in the world — ever. And though I’m no longer allowed to eat it, I still want to learn to prepare sushi and cook Japanese food.

Questions from Runaway Dilettante:

1) Why did you start your blog?

In 2010, I almost died from meningitis (complications due to HIV). I was ordered complete rest, to quit work, and my parents moved me back home with them so that I could recuperate. As I was getting better, I was also getting bored. I decided to start my blog just to help get the thoughts out of my head and put them somewhere. Eventually, it helped me process certain issues I had and, hopefully, change people’s perspective over people living with HIV; that we can live normal lives.

2) What has been your most favourite part about blogging so far?

I started putting up my poetry drafts and I have been getting really good responses from them from people all over the world — people I didn’t know existed or who don’t know me. It felt nice having written a poem and finding someone who connected to it for whatever reason, or bothered to even “like” it. It made me think that my passion for poetry isn’t such a lonely outlet after all.

3) Fruit or vegetables?

Uhm… both? I like both.

4) Your favourite television show?

I like a lot but I would have to say The Wire has become my favourite television show, by far.

5) What 2 things would you bring if you had to suddenly drop everything and leave for a year?

I guess my laptop (with charger and mouse, of course) and a book of Rumi’s poems. I need to write and Rumi goes with me everywhere I go.

6) Chocolate or Vanilla?

Vanilla.

7) How do you like your eggs?

Scrambled is probably my favourite preparation for eggs; but I’m not particular.

8) What is your favourite hobby?

I don’t have a favourite. I do a lot of things that I like but never enough for it to be considered a hobby. Writing is my work; watching movies is part of my work (and my life); reading is not a hobby, it is an essential part of living, in my opinion; I love wall-climbing and yoga, but I don’t do it often enough to consider it a hobby; things like that. I am planning on taking dance classes very soon and hopefully, I can change my answer in the future to say dancing, but it remains to be seen whether I can actually find the time to get to a class.

9) Favourite colour?

It changes depending on my mood but I usually always just end up saying “green.”

10) If you could be in any movie (as a character, not an actor), which movie would it be?

It has always been my dream to be a zombie in a zombie film. But since you aren’t asking me whether what role I would like to play in a movie, but what movie would I like to be in, I would love to be in any film by Wes Anderson — Moonrise Kingdom, Royal Tenenbaums, Darjeeling Limited — because it is so frightfully poignant but understatedly funny. They are intelligent films and I think I would fit right in.

11) Smarties or M&Ms?

M&Ms, I guess, because I don’t know what Smarties are. And if you want to be specific, M&Ms rice crispy because they are just the bomb.

My look for this event was a stretched twist-out that turned into a huge fro! I received many compliments, so it was not as bad as I imagined.

I will have to give you all an update on what has been going on with Essie lately.

Just for a quick catch up; Essie has been great! In fact, she has been flourishing since I have been using only my own handmade organic products!

Ynobe Shop has been doing very well and will be featured in one of those fancy subscription boxes very soon!!

Right now I am looking for some bloggers or vloggers who have a great following to review some of our products.

We have so many new products we are working on, so I want to get some honest feedback and of course I want the world to know what people think!

Remember, we need people with a huge blog or YouTube following and people who are very detailed with their videos or blogs. We are looking for two people, one to test new products that haven’t launched yet and one to test current products! If you don’t blog or vlog, that’s fine; share this post with others. I am sure someone you know or that knows someone they know (or something like that) does!!

We look forward to hearing from you and as always……..

Happy Naturals

The challenge

 So in my duty to catch up with my blog everyday posts which i have missed out on I am now doing my day 19 which is post my five favourite blogs! Now it was a hard decision it really was, as I love reading other blogs and just feeling ‘i can’t wait to see what they are writing about now.’  I don’t really have a particular type of blog style which i prefer so lets see… in no particular order:

1.  www.lauralocket.com – I stumbled upon her blog on glipho.com ( the social networking site for bloggers) and fell in love with her blog ever since. I love the idea that her daily blog is so simple and mainly talks about her university life,working and just things that happen to her everyday. She is just a real person (unlike some bloggers who i think probably exaggerate some of their ‘lives’ to make it interesting haha! each to their own) going through real things ,plus she has some cool tattoos and a super cute hair cut!  She seems like such a lovely person and she talks openly about her suffering with bipolar, and i think its important as a ‘lifestyle’ blogger to open up about your life to your readers as we love getting to know you the real you through the screen!

2. http://mslissa23.wordpress.com/ - I have know melissa since i was like 4 years old and she was one of the first people i knew personally who had a blog, so i guess you could say that she inspired me to write my own one. I enjoy her blog as she writes about all sorts of topics that are debatable whether it be the music industry, relationships between men and women or the idea that women feel they need to wear makeup. Her blog is always funny and has a rawness to it which appeals to me and i can see why her followers love her writing too.I just love having debates on my thoughts and feeling on certain subjects  which is exactly what this blog offers.

3.http://tenesiateriann.wordpress.com/- This is girl is truly one of the most loveliest people i have met. Her blog is about her poetry which is so beautiful by the way and pictures from her modelling career. She is a stunning girl and the words she writes in her poems are always so eloquently put, it makes me think that I wish I could write like that but alas i was never blessed with that talent ! She is a strong young black women which you can tell from her writing plus she seems to know where she wants to go in life, which is always an endearing quality.

4.http://glipho.com/thelovehawk - Yet again I have to thank Glipho for me finding this blog. The love Hawk is a blog about the issues of love and advice on the topic. The love Hawk’s posts are always something which i think all women can relate to and I especially love ‘but he’s an asshole’ post as its sooo true, when your friend is dating an absolute prick there is nothing you can really do about it! And I am sure we have all been there…when you say to her countless times ‘he treats you bad…he doesn’t deserve you..’ but it all falls on dead ears… definitely one to read! I always look forward to her posts.

5. http://stylemeprettier.blogspot.co.uk/- Another one from one of my good friends. Daryl  is an amazing blogger and posts about fashion and how to create different looks as she is a stylist. She always takes pictures ( visuals are always the best!) and tells her readers where certain items are from, so we can all go rushing down to Topshop as soon as we have read a post and buy those shoes she put together with those trousers! Plus another thing, i like how she has a style of the week competition where she chooses someone from the public  who has a great style and posts about it. It’s always nice to include your readers or anyone from off the streets in your blog to add to that ‘realness’ again. Sorry i know i am crazy about bloggers being real but this is really important to me! I hate reading something where you can tell that the person is trying to be someone else. You definitely will not find that on any of the blogs i read! And people like to see fashion style from real people and not ‘devil wears prada’ wannabes.

so there we have it day 19 !

72K bloggers drop tumblr and swarm to wordpress, due to yahoo buyout. I got one word for them, SUSCRIBE! =)

on a serious , bloggers and just average joes should be concerned when social networks start merging. It makes it easier for snooping and censorship. Also, it widdle downs the pool of possible witnesses to civil rights infringements due to the censoring. It helps #BigCorp & #BigBro spy. Considering whats going on with the #IRS scandal, not only Americans but citizens of the world must hold vigilant and fight for all our freedoms.

Follow MFB for the latest updates/news and everything fashion

FB: www.facebook.com/MoroccanFashionBloggers

Twitter: @MFBloggers
Hashtag(s): #MFB #MoroccanFashionBloggers

Like/RT/Share with friends! LETS GO!

]]> http://stylingthewayforward.com/2013/05/20/cocktail-class-at-the-millennium-hotel/ Mon, 20 May 2013 21:26:01 +0000 TunVogue http://stylingthewayforward.com/2013/05/20/cocktail-class-at-the-millennium-hotel/ I think i might have to change my day job and become a mixology, because lately I’ve been mixing up some pretty good cocktails. I attended a cocktail class yesterday courtesy of The Millennium Mayfair Hotel (Grosvenor square London), I was given a tour round the hotel which was a lovely gesture and nice experience. The Millennium Hotel London Mayfair is an historical mansion of 18th century, that was built (between 1725-1731) as a stately townhouse owned by Grosvenor family. The hotel overlooks Grosvenor Square Gardens situated in the heart of fashionable Mayfair, the hotel combines traditional charm and luxury with an outstanding balcony view overlooking London’s top tourist attractions.

The hotel has retained many of its original features, with its Georgian façade and classic Doric columns. The hotel has 336 bedrooms, 10 function rooms and its a 7 floor mansion. It offers guests superb customer service, as well as a selection of fantastic facilities and an award-winning and hugely popular Italian restaurant, Avista.

Guests can enjoy a leisurely stroll through the beautiful Grosvenor Square Gardens, browse the boutiques of Bond Street and the fashionable stores of Regent Street, walk through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, or attend a theatre performance in the West End. The Houses of Parliament, London’s financial district, US Embassy Canadian Embassy, Indonesia Embassy, Italian Embassy are also within easy reach of the hotel.

The class took place at the Avista bars, it was a two-on-one session lead by the two amazingly skilled mixologiest Rewfus Brode and Casey Small (follow them on twitter @thecocktailserv), they thought us how to make a Mojito. we also had a few competitions between the teams (the other bloggers) and my team won the best Mojito but lost on the timing (boo), The class was fun, networked with some interesting people. Here are some “not so perfect” pictures i took…

If you want a 5 stars, luxury hotel…then The Millennium Hotel fits the bill.

Mixed in knot translation.

Complications, seemingly something I like

2do.  What if I just stopped?  Hating

technology more with each

new calendar square.  Need a cup of coffee.

But it’s late.  Have to stick with pattern.

(5/20/13)

We may have invented currency, folks. The trading is fierce on the secondary market. Apparently the shirts are a hit and we couldn’t be more pleased. Apparently people are even trying to win shirts *of their own band*.

This morning I noticed that JP Shea from the Jesus Cleaver was at the machines on Cursed. He also may or may not have been dressed as a giant grey bunny, but that’s not as funny as what happened next, when three women snuck up behind him wearing Jesus Cleaver tshirts. He didn’t know they were there. He was too busy trying to get a box detached from his hand (hey. I *still* do that.)

Before the box got attached.

I think his computer crashed not long after that, but he came back and made friends with his cheerleaders, all of whom thought he was utterly charming. Happy endings all around, but last I heard Ely Hynes was still ready to sell her soul for a You Shriek shirt. Razi, this is what happens when you land on people.

This morning’s madness helped bring our five day total to…..
603,435L, which converted comes to: $2263.07USD or 1486.66GBP. Wow. All we can say really is thank you but we’ll keep saying it – thank you.

Oh, and I bought the worldgothfair.com and worldgothfair.co.uk domains and I’ll set up a redirect for those here. Figured it was time.

I’ll be spending tonight sorting out World Goth Day prize packages, so more info on that soon. And if you have an extra You Shriek shirt, please contact Ely Hynes before she explodes.

Today’s photo from our flickr pool is is from Shyariel Teardrop, who’s decided to be a wonderful dark marionette.

Master of the Puppets, by Shyariel Teardrop-Congrejo

Tonight there’s two sets at the Gothika Mobile Unit – one at 8pm and one at 10pm PST. There MIGHT be a set at 2pm PST- I don’t know if Ace is back from Wave Gotik Treffen or not. I guess I’ll find out in an hour. In the meantime, I still have the stream. http://aqua.neostreams.info:8036

More tomorrow!

Nationally sponsored by Natural Girls Rock

Locally Sponsored by Whole Foods Market – Arizona Stores

Natural hair meetups are events designed to share information, techniques, inspiration and products to aid individuals in their natural hair journey. This annual one day event allows women across the country to meet in their own communities to network and receive education on natural hair.  This day is so amazing because women across the country are participating in meetups on the same day.

Saturday May 18th, 2013, I had the chance to experience this event that showcased natural hair on a large scale in Phoenix, Arizona. The Event was located at Mijana Restuarant in Tempe, Arizona.  I was in awe of the  amount of beauty that graced the room. While there were a few men in attendance , this event showcased multifaceted women of color who came to embrace their natural coils. The Hosts, Desniege Joseph – NubianGlamRock Entertainment, LLC  and Crystal Williams-Jackson – ESLFriedRice,  Natural This, Natural That; did an amazing job facilitating an event that was educational, fun and overall very beneficial for Phoenix area naturals.

Photography By Roshan

( Host Crystal Williams-Jackson & Desniege Joseph)

The FIRST natural hair wars featured the work of local natural hair stylists and gave us a peak at just how fabulous the valley stylist really are! I must say for me this was vital as I have been here for a little over a year and finding the right stylist has been a journey in itself. I was blessed to meet the owner of HairLoks by Arlette, Arlette Pender!  Ladies if you are in the valley and looking for consultation please give them a call.

Photography by Roshan

( Photo: Owner of HairLoks; Arlette Pender, Makeup Artist Lakesha Brandon & Stylist Dashonna Johnson)

One of the many highlights of the event for me was my ability to be able to contribute to the House of Miracles. House of Miracles, Inc. (HOMI) has been a 501© (3) nonprofit organization since November 2001. The facility is a subsidiary of HOMI and has opened its doors as a  “Peaceful Living House.” This event allowed us to be able to donate new or gently used hair products to women and children who may be in need. In return, those who donated were given raffle tickets with a chance to win prizes.

Phoenix naturals also received a “swag bag” with an array of sample products from nationwide sponsors.

Swag Bag Sponsors 

This event was exactly what the “valley” needed, allowing women of color who share the common bond of natural hair to meet in a safe and friendly environment.  I look forward to next year’s International Natural Hair Meet up day in 2014.

Curly Deviants Stay tuned for this weeks “unbagging” Video where I reveal some of the amazing products found in my SWAG BAG!

I was nominated for this award by a pretty cool blog called ‘From Hope to Peace’, which details the bloggers’ experience in israel. The rules are:

• Post 11 facts about myself
• Answer 11 questions from my nominator
• Nominate my own set of 11 deserving bloggers
• Ask them 11 questions

Alright, strap in, let’s go!

11 Personal Facts:

1. I am technically North African, which means a mix of Greek, Phoenician, Moor, Berber, Arab, and every other racial group that settled into Libya in the past thousands of years. But since it’s almost impossible to tell your exact ethnicity in Libya, we just say Arab.

2. The fact that I started this list with my race will tell you that I’m interested in genealogy and origins, and how people define themselves based on these indicators.

3. I know that debating politics will end in a headache and a dreadful sense of helplessness to change the world. But I do it anyways, because I can’t keep my opinions to myself.

4. I’m socially awkward, until I get to know you really well, and then I’ll just be regular awkward.

5. I’m an architecture student who is indifferent to architecture. The only building I’ve ever fallen in love with is the US Capitol.

6. I love Canada, it’s where I was raised and I’ll forever be grateful for the education and the opportunities I got from that country.

7. I will argue against an argument if everyone else supports it, even if I actually support it as well.

8. I have a love/hate relationship with feminism.

9. I can go for long periods of time blatantly denying the reality in front of me.

10. I cringe inwardly every time I’m forced to type ‘lol’ in a conversation, it only happens in the most desperate situations.

11. I value honesty and dedication to principles above all else in others.

Hope to Peace’s questions for me

1. What does it feel like to be you?

Mostly confusing, but there are some great highlights to my life.

2. What does peace mean to you?

Feeling comfortable with who you are in the place you live.

3. Which is the most important human right to you?

Freedom of speech, hands down.

4. Which conflict do you know the most about?

If you mean political, it would have to be the Libyan uprising, and the 42 years under the Gadhafi dictatorship, because I lived in the middle of both.

5. Which person do you look up to the most, excluding family members?

One of my university professors, Dr. Aziza Safour. She’s a strong, educated woman who still has time to raise a family.

5. How do you let loose when everything threatens to overwhelm you?

I get lost in a good book, or write it out.

7. What is the best thing that’s ever happened to you?

A summer exchange program I participated in at Georgetown University. Amazing people, eye-opening experience, can’t describe it better than that.

8. When are you most likely to have a brainwave?

Late at night, usually when I’m listening to music.

9. How long does it take you to write a post?

Depends on the topic. Current events are often written quickly, when I’m still in the moment of the incident, while thoughtful posts take longer (between 1-2 hours).

10. Which is your favourite blog post?

My most self-aggrandizing one

11. Where do you get your news from?

Yahoo! News and Facebook. The New Yorker when I’m feeling intellectually snobby.

My Nominees (will be updating this one as I get to know more bloggers)

1. Mary’s blog, E7kili. 

2. Starry Gee

3. Another Place

4. The World According to Friday

My 11 Questions for the Nominees

1. Can you name one book that has changed or life, or at least paused and made you think?

2. If there was one law in your country that you could change, what would it be?

3. What’s your favorite flavour of chips?

4. What’s your preferred method of social media?

5. If you could hop into a time machine and check out any era in history, which would you choose?

6. Why did you start blogging?

7. What do you think about Libya?

8. What’s the first that comes to mind when I ask for your favorite quote?

9. Which do you believe is more important, self-education or academic education?

10. What’s the best food experience you’ve ever had?

11. Do you think the globalization and instant outreach created by the internet has done more good or bad to the world?

Today’s art

“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” ~Albert Camus

Ever since the results of my Soul Fight have become obvious, I have had the word “disciplined” attached to me. At first, I shrugged it off. No need to argue, assume it’s a compliment, and say thank you. : ) But as I started to hear it more and more, I became uncomfortable. I did not want to be associated with such a term.

I finally had to ask myself why. Being disciplined is a quality people aspire to be. They want to understand how one achieves it. They understand it is an integral key to success. They mean as a compliment. As a compliment similar to the ones I get for my art and music. Either you have it or you don’t. Like it’s some unachievable brass ring they could never reach.

Guess what? Discipline is not difficult. In fact, it’s been so easy that I didn’t initially believe that I had earned such a label. That label was reserved for people who wake up at crack of dawn, exercise daily, are focused on their goals and are successful in career and life. Then it hit me. That’s me! What? How did this happen? I’m disciplined? Wow! It’s a miracle! : )

It really boils down to a few simple instructions. Really.

• If you have dreams, and please tell me you have dreams, you can make them your goals.
• Have an emotional reason for your goal. This is the best motivator.
• Be specific. In his book, Burn the Fat, Build the Muscle, Tom Venuto writes if you were the captain of ship, you would not plan your journey by simply saying you’re heading west. If you did, you would aimlessly travel the sea without getting to any special destination. Instead, you would have a latitude and longitude and a map with a very specific end point. Do that.
• Have deadlines attached to your goals. We have to have them in order to keep goals a priority and to keep them in focus. It also assists in deflecting distractions, both good and bad.
• Set a schedule with your deadlines in mind.

Discipline has a recipe. This is basically it. Set up goals for everything you want. Whether it be career, fitness, social, spiritual or a hobby. Be defined about what you want and proceed from there.

: )

It’s your day. Go get it.

Namaste,

With love,
Pamela

I am grateful today for the love I have for my partner, for the work in progress on my easel, for the joy in my heart, for the man who repaired my lawn mower!, for my curiosity .

If you enjoyed this post, please enjoy the archived posts, share on Twitter and Facebook, follow this blog,and consider purchasing some of my art. : )

Rules of the OLB Award:

• Thank the blogger who nominated you.

• Add the “One Lovely Blog Award” image to your post.

• Share seven things about yourself.

• Nominate seven other bloggers.

• Inform the nominees by posting on their blog.

7 facts about us:

1. We’re both advertising girls, working in the same agency (it’s how we met), but in very different departments: B works in Creative, while I work in Client Servicing  (a great example of how we are complete opposites!).
2. We’re both strange mixes: B is Iraqi/Yemeni/American (from California), and I’m German/Nigerian/Dutch (with an American accent). And although we have settled in quite a few countries, we basically grew up in the Middle East.
3. You can check out some of B’s advertising work on her online portfolio.
4. After my competitive swimming years during high school, I became a lifeguard for 1 year. No tan of mine will ever be the same again! :(
5. B has a serious shopping problem! Her massive  6-door closet full of clothes, accessories, and bags just isn’t enough for her so she has to keep the surplus in another closet in the guest bedroom!
6. As part of my grade school’s music education programme, it was mandatory for students to play an instrument. I badly wanted to learn the cello, but the school didn’t have enough of them so I’ve been playing the violin ever since. B attempted to learn the guitar when she was 13, but when she found out she would have to keep her nails short forever she quit within 4 weeks! This is why I have short nails, by the way.
7. We started Booni Blog so we can meet new people; share ideas, tips, and tricks; and contribute content to the online community.  It’s the reason why we opted out of a niche blog and focused on a general lifestyle one– I mean, our lives are so varied, why shouldn’t our blog be as well?

–

Unfortunately, we only get to pass the torch to 7 of our favourite bloggers. So here is who we decided to nominate and why:

• Myla from Find Me A Break, for being a fellow Dubai blogger and sharing her great reviews.
• Heena from Ample Arabia, for her deep insights into all things fashion and beauty related.
• Kay from Twenty-Six Nails, for having awesome nail art tutorials that are cute to look at and easy to do.
• Katie from Intraordinary, for sharing wonderful DIY eye-candy (including nail art, sewing projects, hairstyles, and more!).
• Sarmistha from Little Book of Fashion, for her great outfits and contagious positivity.
• Helen from Health-E-Helen, for posting useful tips about all things health and fitness related.
• Lucy from Lucy Loo Hoo, for her creative fashion sense and super cute photos.

And that’s it! Our top seven blogs at the moment, who have really grabbed our attention by being inspirational, containing great new content on a regular basis, and putting us in a good mood. So go have a look!

Stay tuned for more booniness!

xO

I nominate the following bloggers for the WordPress Family Award, as someone so graciously did for me. I thank each of you for posting quality, thought-provoking content, for reading my blog now and then, and for interacting through comments. There truly can be a sense of family among strangers, when you read the musings of another’s mind. What a phenomenon!

Blessings, Clayton from tales2apoint

• Jessie from http://veederranch.com - One of the blogs I most anticipate reading. You truly make me laugh.
• David from http://allenfiction.com - I really enjoy reading your stories and nonchalant musings. You are talented, but don’t take yourself too seriously. It’s refreshing.
• Cortney from http://misswidgetspeople.com - I cannot imagine living in Europe and having such quaint adventures. Thanks for your quality photography and candid stories.
• Karen from http://karenworth.wordpress.com - You are like the warm, encouraging “grandma” of my blog world. Your posts are always an excellent combination of encouragement and challenge. Thank you.
• Mr. Echwalu from http://echwaluphotography.wordpress.com - Everyday life in Africa is a real treat to read about and see through your QUALITY photography. Keep loving others through your camera lens!
• Jacqueline from http://jacquelinevroe.wordpress.com - Your posts are deep, tender, and transparent—a blessing in this world of pretense.
• Patrick from http://www.hikingphoto.com - You live in a once-in-a-lifetime kind of world. I can only dream of experiencing the beauty you photograph weekly. Thanks for sharing.
• Stephanie from http://sgoodman2china.wordpress.com - Thanks for pointing to Him in your living and your blogging. I always enjoy your engaging and quality storytelling.
• BW from http://bottledworder.com - You are just plain and simply an excellent transcriber of thoughts into words.
• Adam from http://1storyaweek.com - As a fellow writer of original fiction, I know how much work it takes to create such believable characters in everyday circumstances. Keep it up! We should try co-writing a story sometime, too.

A message from Shaun, the creator of this award:

This is an award for everyone who is part of the “WordPress Family” I started this award on the basis that the WordPress family has taken me in, and showed me love and a caring side only WordPress can. The way people take a second to be nice, to answer a question and not make things a competition amazes me here. I know I have been given many awards, but I wanted to leave my own legacy on here by creating my own award, as many have done before. This represents “Family” we never meet, but are there for us as family. It is my honour to start this award. Thank you, Shaun

Rules:

1. Display the award logo on your blog.
2. Link back to the person who nominated you.
3. Nominate 10 others you see as having an impact on your WordPress experience and family.
4. Let your 10 Family members know you have awarded them.
5. That is it. Just please pick 10 people that have taken you as a friend, and spread the love.

it reaches right up inside you and suddenly – everything – feels

incredibly wonderful. Just everything!

~

~

Isn’t it just about the best feeling ever!

Just imagine if we could capture it in a bottle.

Save it for those days where we need

to uncap the bottle of happiness and take a swig or two (or more).

Savor the taste, the flavor ~ inhale it, swallow in gulps.

Yes, that’s the happiness I’m talking about.

~

~

I have a few bottles I’ve been saving up

And it dawned on me that happiness is not

to be selfishly contained but spread around.

No more hoarding happiness for me.

When I think of  all the beautiful warm and loving

people that live on our planet I am happy.

When I breath in the fresh air (because I can) I’m happy.

When I witness and am a part of nature in all it’s glory

I’m happy.

~

~

When I think how amazing lucky I’ve been

in my life, (I survived) I’m happy.

When I hear, read or view the beautiful

music,words and art that others have created

I’m happy.

When I think of my family and friends

(of course this includes those talented loving blogging friends)

I’m happy.

~

~

When I see anyone with a big smile on their face

I’m happy.

And as I write this I realize, I am happy

so today,I share my happiness with you.

And it’s big enough to embrace

the entire planet and all of you!

Love and happiness to all of you!

YOU deserve it

so

Make it so!

~

~

Share your happiness with me.

We’ll laugh and  be happy

and then we’ll make a positive difference

together ~ Happiness works best

in groups. Because very large groups

of loving, compassionate and caring people

is a very happy thing.

As I’ve shared my happiness

with you today, amazingly enough

it turns out

I now have even more to share

for today

and tomorrow and all the days ahead,

You are not alone.

~

~

Come ~ share your happiness with me.

If you’ve been missing happiness lately

I’ve noticed that it is quick to return

right after an awareness of

humble gratitude for that which you do have.

And remembering to appreciate this

by sharing with others!

Happiness seems to magically appear

soon after …

In large doses. Truly!

Have a most happy day today,

~ Penny