All Articles Tagged "snow"
T-Bone Steak Isn’t Emergency Food: 7 Things I Need People To Stop Doing In Bad Weather And Natural Disasters
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As super-storm Sandy threatened the convenience and well-being of many East Coasters this past week, I found myself headed to the local Wal-Mart in the wee hours of the morning before the storm hit when I realized I didn’t even have the basics like milk, bread and juice. Silly me. Similar to the hysteria that Hurricane Irene caused last year, I witnessed all kinds of unnecessary behavior that many times just makes the situation worse than it has to be. What is about weather emergencies and other potentially catastrophic events that brings out the crazy in people and makes them abandon all common sense? Here are just some of the predictable annoying antics of the public that I need to see come to a stop:
Where Are They Now? 9 Blue-Eyed Soul Singers We Used To Jam To
They didn’t look like your ordinary soul and R&B singers, but they definitely were. You could hear the R&B influence in their singles, from “I Can’t Go For That,” to “Freedom 90!” and “This Is the Right Time.” Their songs and talent were often so dope that the local black radio stations had to slip their tracks in from time to time (like they used to do Justin Timberlake). We know where our recent faves are (the Joss Stones, Amy Winehouses, Adeles, etc.), but where are our past faves (and a few somewhat recent ones who haven’t dropped new music)? We found a few. Per the usual, be ready to click, and let us know who you’d love to catch up with below!
Source: Last FM
Lisa Stansfield
This talented UK singer became a favorite of black folks everywhere when she dropped the song, “All Around the World,” from her solo debut, Affection. But don’t get it twisted, Stansfield had many more jams that people love and still play to this day: “This Is the Right Time,” “You Can’t Deny It,” “All Woman,” and her remake of the Barry White classic, “Never Gonna Give You Up.”
Nowadays, Stansfield is still putting out music from time to time. She’s put out two new albums since the new Millennium began, including 2001′s Face Up, and 2004′s The Moment. She’s working on a new album that she hopes to drop in 2013 (currently untitled). She’s also done her share of acting, doing the “Vagina Monologues” in London, and showing up on the series “Goldplated,” as well as the movie, The Edge of Love with Keira Knightley.
Dear Toni Braxton, Please Go Play in the Snow Quietly
I have really come to love Toni Braxton from watching her and her sisters on the Braxton’s Family Values every Thursday—I truly have—but she is really pulling me back with the commentary on her dating life and it seems to be getting worse.
It was sort of cute when she called dating a white man “playing in the snow” on Anderson Cooper, but her appearance on Chelsea Lately last night was just…I have to say it, ignorant.
She told Chelsea Handler she’s playing in the snow—again—and said, “It’s kind of nice. It’s something different.” Then she said the man’s skin is different. “The skin feels different, that’s kind of nice. It smells different… Is that in my head? I can’t explain it.”
She didn’t even catch on when Chelsea cleverly, and obviously, made fun of her when she said, “No you can’t explain it because when you try to explain it, you sound totally racist but you’re not.”
Then to throw all black people in the same, “I don’t do anything that involves nature and getting my hair wet” boat, she says, “He likes hiking–black people don’t hike; kayaking, is that how you say it—that stuff too. But other than that, it’s the same.”
Toni says she’s also dating her ex-husband and hasn’t slept with “the white guy,” as Chelsea called him, since they’re only six-eight weeks into their relationship, and because she’s been on lock down for 10 years, she says “I’m not comfortable with the Slore in me yet.”
Oh Toni, where do we begin? The good thing is that she’s Toni Braxton, meaning no one is coming to her for commentary on anything of substance, and white people probably don’t even know she’s still making music so hopefully this foolishness can be swept under the rug. But can you imagine the outrage if a white person said black people smell differently—even jokingly? Apologies would have been demanded within minutes. But here she goes saying they smell different, like wet dog perhaps? And feel different? C’mon Toni, maybe it’s just been too long since you’ve felt skin other than Keri’s?
In 30 seconds she became the poster child for the inspiration behind every black girls do run, black girls swim, black girls like nature campaign there is. Yes, some white people are a little more nature-loving and adventurous than black people but black people don’t hike Toni, really?
And what’s up with the “Slore in me” comment? I know sometimes women like to play with that word to sort of give them a pass to be sexually liberated, but not when you’re 40-plus and dating. I need her to stop trying to play cute, naive, jungle fever sex kitten and be a grown non-condescending woman. If “white guy” has even half of a brain, he’ll exit stage left immediately.
Watch the embarrassing clip below and peep the end where she gives Chelsea a little lesson in Russian: “I don’t know if you know Rosetta Stone, but if you say ‘yellow blue bus’ that means I love you.” Somebody take all mics away from this woman unless she’s singing into it.
What do you think about Toni Braxton? Is there any hope for her career revival, much less her dating life?
Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.
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Toni Braxton Tells Anderson Cooper She’s Dating White Men… And Calls It…
Toni Braxton will appear on the “Anderson” show today as part of her talk show circuit promoting “Braxton Family Values” Season 2, which premiers tonight (yay!). When Anderson asked about Toni’s move to L.A. and whether she’s dating, she told him she’s been trying interracial dating and “playing in the snow.”
She says: “I’m beginning to play in the snow a bit. [...] Play in the snow? You’ve never heard of that? It means he’s Caucasian. [...]
Anderson: “And this is new for you?”
Toni: “I’ve never played in the snow before.”
Anderson: “How is the snow?”
Toni: “This is a lovely snowflake.”
Anderson: “Well, every snowflake is different.”
Their interaction is hilarious. Check it out below.
I wonder who the snowman is. What white celeb could you see Toni hooking up with?
Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.
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Snowstorm Costs City $8 Million
(AP) — Chicago’s largest snow storm in years cost the city at least $8 million. The Chicago Sun-Times reports Mayor Richard Daley’s administration awarded 32 contracts of $250,000 each on Feb. 3. The contracts were for snow removal, storm cleanup or rescue. The storm dumped more than 20 inches of snow on the city, leading to a virtual shutdown for more than a day.
Everybody Hates a Blizzard, but Pity the Politicians Whose Wards Got Short Shrift
(New York Times) — The day after the blizzard, with election day less than three weeks away, Alderman Freddrenna Lyle (6th Ward) listened wearily to a stream of constituents who phoned to complain that unplowed snow was still keeping them from driving. “Everybody who calls ends the message with something like, ‘You know this is election season,’ ” Ms. Lyle said, her voice hoarse from a cold. She added sarcastically: “ ’No, I didn’t know. Thanks for reminding me.’ ”Mayor Richard M. Daley is retiring and does not need to worry about political fallout from last week’s giant storm, but some aldermen who face challengers in the Feb. 22 election fretted that the belated arrival of city plows in parts of their wards would harm their re-election chances . While much of the focus was on the city’s failure to either close or adequately clear Lake Shore Drive, leaving hundreds of motorists stranded, the response to the storm in many wards reopened the long-running question of whether City Hall shortchanges outlying neighborhoods in the allocation of services. Some aldermen again alleged that the Daley administration’s Streets and Sanitation Department favored downtown over streets lined with brick bungalows and low-rise apartment buildings.
Another 1,100 Flights at O’Hare Canceled
(Chicago Tribune) — Commercial flights are starting up again at the city’s two airports following the grounding of almost all planes since Tuesday afternoon, but already there have been a number of cancellations. At 8:30 p.m., the Chicago Department of Aviation reported more than 1,100 flight cancellations at O’Hare International Airport and about 40 at Midway Airport. ”Today is expected to be a very busy travel day at both O’Hare and Midway as airlines rebook passengers and work to resume full operations,” the aviation department said.
Atlanta Still Snowed under over Cost of Storm Recovery
(AJC) — Atlanta may no longer look like Siberia these days, but the impact of last month’s monster snow storm is still chilling. The city spent $4.7 million on snow removal and costs related to the storm that crippled much of the city, according to documents released to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Of that sum, the city spent $3.4 million for hiring 10 outside contractors to provide snow removal, attempting to relieve a city that is without its own fleet of heavy storm equipment. At least two of those companies, Cascade Building and CTC, earned more than $1 million for their services.
Workers Brave the Elements, Get Creative to Report for Work
(Chicago Sun Times) — While most businesses and major corporate offices were closed Wednesday, determined Chicagoans who needed to feed hungry customers, trade in the markets, care for the sick or tend to animals found a way to make it to work. One climbed out the window of his home because he couldn’t get out the front door. Another drove down a closed highway. Others didn’t need a dramatic effort. In the Chicago financial markets, most people either stayed overnight in a downtown hotel or had access to Metra service. The Chicago exchanges had information technology workers ready to make certain their systems functioned. But even with those precautions, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade had a rare delay in the start of “open outcry” markets, which didn’t begin until 10 a.m .
Massive Snowstorm Will Cost Workers and Businesses
(Christian Science Monitor) — This week’s goliath snow storm, which stretched across some 30 states, has put a dent in America’s productivity. Some cities like Tulsa, Okla., and Chicago shut down in the face of record or near-record snowfalls. In other places, government offices and schools closed while businesses remained open. How much the storm will hurt US productivity is difficult to quantify. It’s also uneven, hitting service workers much harder than office employees and professionals who can work remotely. Organizations that depend on their employees’ physical presence will feel the biggest pinch. Restaurants, retailers, airlines, hospitals, hotels, and other service companies lose not only workers but customers on days when travel is difficult.
