theblaze.com

If it’s not one thing, it’s another. This time, protesters are calling for a boycott of chicken chain Chick-fil-A after the company’s president, Dan Cathy, made a very telling statement against same sex marriages. While speaking to Christian website Baptist Press earlier this week, Cathy was clear on his stance:

“We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that.”

As you may have very well guessed, his comment traveled rather quickly and almost immediately, Facebook posts and tweets were popping up at a rapid pace denouncing his comments.  Long time supporters of Chick-Fil-A, which first opened in 1946 in Atlanta, who are also supporters of gay unions have signed a petition which states, “…we can no longer stomach your intolerance and disrespect for countless LGBT citizens. Until your company’s values reflect the freedoms and dignities that all American citizens are due, we will no longer eat at Chick-fil-A!”   The Mayor of Boston even said that he would seek to block Chick-fil-A from opening there if they continued to take that stance.

By Thursday, it appeared the kitchen had gotten a little hot for the powers-that-be. Chick-fil-A reps finally released a statement via Facebook regarding Cathy’s comments by saying, “…The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect – regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender.  Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena.”

Now on the one hand, most people who’ve been to Chick-fil-A know how staunchly conservative the company is and has always been. They’re closed on Sundays for worship and family time, for goodness sakes. If that doesn’t automatically tell you what side of the fence they’re on then you’re too blinded by their chicken biscuits and lemonade to see it.  And yes, the rest of the country seems to be moving – at least at face value – towards progression but it doesn’t mean that any company must move with it if those aren’t their beliefs.

On the other hand…grow up, Dan Cathy!  First, not all views need to be expressed, particularly when you run the second largest quick service chicken chain restaurant. I mean, Sir, gay, lesbian and transgendered people have likely eaten from one of the 1,600 restaurants scattered across the country. If nothing else, show some respect for that. Second, remember that just because you do an interview with and for one group of people, it doesn’t mean someone else won’t pick it up.

Where do you stand?  If you support same sex marriages but you also patronize Chick-fil-A, can you see yourself letting it go for the bigger cause? Is it just not that serious to you?  Have you ever boycotted a company because of their views or rules?

Source

advocate.org

Kameron Slade won a class speech competition and that allowed him to be part of the school wide speech competition at P.S. 195 in Queens, NY.  Instead of taking on a topic that many other students would probably pick, 10 year old Cameron decided on something else: same sex marriage. Kameron, along with his mother and teacher, worked diligently on the speech so that he would be prepared for last Friday’s competition.

He didn’t get to do the speech because just two days before, the principal told Kameron’s unidentified mother that he needed to change the topic or be removed from the contest.  Although Kameron changed the topic (he spoke on animal cruelty) and subsequently lost the speech contest, his opinions on same sex marriage conversations as it pertains to children apparently remained the same:

“There is no point in really trying to hide it because us children, we are going to figure it out some time now or later.”

When news fthis story broke on NY1, there was immediate outrage from gay and lesbian advocates and caused Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott to speak on what was happening. Walcott said the principal, also unnamed, felt she needed to connect with the parent community first because of the nature of the topic.  A final decision was made on Friday that Kameron would be allowed to deliver the speech at an assembly at the school on Monday.  If any parents have problem with their child hearing the speech, they’re encouraged to contact the principal.

Interesting indeed.  There would likely be some children in the audience who would might still be sheltered from knowing about same sex relationships and marriage so to find out from a fellow student might be a bit much.  On the other hand, children today learn a lot about social happenings while being in school so it’s possible that it would have been easier to understand coming from a classmate.

Do you think the principal made the correct decision? Would you have been upset if a speech like that was delivered in front of your child? What is a good age to talk to your children aboutgay and lesbian relationships?

Nowadays, everyone believes that their “gaydar” is always on point. Well, a new study has just released its results and the findings are quite interesting.

The University of Washington performed a study in which a group of 129 student volunteers were presented pictures of both men and women, straight and gay, that were void of anything “telling” – hair, jewelry or anything else that might lend to indicating a person’s orientation – for 50 milliseconds each.  Based on looking at the eyes and noses of those in the pictures and how they may fit together on one’s face, the group was able to correctly guess the person’s sexual orientation about 50-60 percent of the time.  Some were even able to guess correctly when the pictures were shown upside down although the percentage did lower.

If you thought the group did better at identifying the gay men in the pictures versus the lesbians, you’d be wrong. According to Joshua Tadak who was heavily involved in the research, he said the group was able to correctly identify the lesbians more than the gay men and he attributes that to the concept of gay men in media:

“We can only speculate that…maybe we’re more liberal with labeling a man gay.”

Tadak also went on to say that the research team will now take this a step further and monitor brain activity as they show the pictures of both straight and gay people.  The goal is to see if people just make automatic judgments similar to knowing automatically if someone is a man or a woman.

The full findings are posted on Huffington Post.

So what about you? How accurate has your “gaydar” been over the years? Do you think you’d be able to quickly identify a person’s sexual orientation solely based on their eyes, nose and how they might fit on their face?

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http://blazeadams247.blogspot.com

My journey to the promised land of natural hair has been a path paved with many trials and errors, shampoos, conditioners, creams and oils. As I am learning to embrace and celebrate my natural hair in all its coil-y glory, I still like to wear my hair in a sleek, straight bob every now and then.

Enter my two BFFs: Hot Comb and Flat Iron.

I wasn’t always on good terms with the hot comb, having suffered scalp burns and trauma caused by many a styling ordeal during my childhood. Over the years, as hair styling techniques advanced and electric hot combs with heat settings became available, I let the hot comb back into my life, albeit slowly. Not knowing the tricks of the trade, I’ve singed myself and my hair more times than I care to remember.

Since I began my hair transition three years ago, I found myself relying more and more on my flat iron. Not knowing what to look for or the best way to use it to get my roots super-straight made styling my hair difficult. Still, I gave it a good ol’ college try and ended up watching my hair break, strand by strand. I assumed the breakage was caused by the heat on my hair.

What I didn’t know was that the kind of flat iron I was using was making matters worse. Over the years, I’ve amassed quite the collection of ceramic, “high-low” two-setting flat irons. I have black ones, blue ones, broken ones…you name it, I probably have it. According to Johnny Wright, SoftSheen-Carson artistic style director and celebrity stylist, the best flat irons are titanium-plated with variable heat settings. Wright recommends the Corioliss Baby SXE. It’s a smaller flat iron, because “it’s small enough to allow you to get as close to the hairline as possible without burning the scalp.”

Ceramic irons were once thought to be good. But if you look at the surface of a ceramic iron under a microscope, the surface was ridged like an orange peel. And that surface would cause friction on the air. The titanium-plated flat irons have a much smoother surface, and can straighten the hair in one pass, rather than the two or three passes it would take with a ceramic flat iron.

Don’t throw away that hot comb just yet. It still has its purpose. The hot comb is good for straightening hair around the perimeter of the head “to give the hair a straighter finish,” says Wright.

All this time I had it wrong. I would use the hot comb to straighten my roots, and then comb it through the hair for good measure (and torture). Then I would go over my hair with the flat iron over and over again until my hair was relatively straightened, or I got tired, whichever came first.

Wright recommends when you wash and blow-dry your hair, go ahead and set the iron on the highest setting your hair can handle. For those, like me, who flat iron their hair every day, turn down that flat iron!

Follow Kimberly Shorter on Twitter at @KimberlyWriter.

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When we talk about something or someone being “good” we are referring to the thing or person doing what is expected of it or him/her. We call behaved children “good kids.” We call chaste women “good girls.” And when we refer to food that meets our expectations in terms of taste and presentation, we call that “good food.”

When it comes to our hair, the same applies. There are several different natural curl patterns; the way your hair naturally curls depends on which curl pattern you’ve been blessed with. With the right products and care, your hair will do exactly what it is supposed to do. Despite definitions that are as twisted as they are arbitrary, we all have “good hair.”

How is your natural curl pattern determined? Scientists say it’s the shape of the hair follicle. Follicles that are round in the cross-section produce straight hair. Follicles that are oval or irregularly shaped produce different degrees of curly hair.

What’s your natural curl pattern?

By Chrissi J

Source: naturallymemedia.com

Everyone asks about what they can do to make their hair grow, and to keep their hair moisturized, but are you checking to make sure your hair has shine? The kind of shine where your locks are shining when you step out in the sun? Try these tips to keeping your hair all aglow no matter what time of the year.

Cold Water closes your hairs pores so that your hair will reflect light rather than absorb it. The water doesn’t have to be freezing ice cold, but try giving your hair a cool blast after you shampoo & condition.

Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-Frizz Serum smells great & works wonders for most textures, especially fine hair. I would especially recommend it for straightened hair… It’s a gloss and isn’t heavy at all. For longer lasting and the shiniest of results, massage the Garnier ‘Sleek & Shine Anti Frizz Serum’ into your hair when it’s damp. No worries though, you can also use this product on dry hair as well.

Coconut Oil is great for all hair types & textures. It’ll definitely give you shine & moisture. You want to make sure that you only use unrefined coconut oil, and use it when hair is moist for best moisture penetration. Coconut oil is also great for hair growth and helps prevent hair loss. If you’ve ever had any severe breakage, try massaging coconut oil into the area and watch your hair grow back!

Grapeseed Oil coats the hair and is very great for shine. Grapeseed oil helps to repair brittleness and is a God-sent product for fine and straightened hair. It’s so light and doesn’t weigh the hair down at all. It’s not greasy or overly-oily and you can use it while your hair is damp or dry. You can also use grapeseed oil for a hot-oil treatment.

Almond Oil smells great and is also great for shine. Be careful not to use if you’re allergic to nuts though! Almond oil also great for hair growth and has been said to prevent hair loss.

Castor Oil is great for shine and maximum moisture. If you have straight hair, loose curls, or sometimes even fine hair, you’ll want to steer clean of this for everyday use as to not overdo it. But castor oil does make a great conditioning treatment for all types of hair. Soak your hair in castor oil for about 15-30 minutes after you shampoo and rinse thoroughly with warm/hot water. Castor Oil also great when used to twist locks!

Chrissi J is a hair-care specialist currently based in New York City, specializing in creative natural hairstyling and overall hair care. She is the originator of the Keepin’ It Kinky Campaign. Check out her work and videos at Keepin’ It Kinky and through her YouTube page.

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Courtesy of Styleite.com

Spring is steadily approaching and many of you may take this opportunity to go shopping for new spring outfits. Before you head out and swipe your credit card for the latest fashion trends, I’d like to offer tips on finding the best styles that flatter your body shape.Understanding your body shape and choosing styles that compliment your figure can dramatically change the way clothes appear on your body; change the way you perceive your body; and more importantly, give you the confidence to feel beautiful.

This is the time to embrace your figure, accept your troubled areas and accentuate your best features. Here are a few tips to make you look fabulous and feel like a million bucks!

(Note: There are roughly 4 body shapes. Please be advised each of us are made uniquely different. Thus, you may not fit one particular category, and as a result are a combination of two categories. For example, I have a straight body shape, however, I have a full bust.)

Read the rest of this entry »

By Chrissi J

“Why Won’t My Hair Grow?!”

There are several potential answers to this commonly asked question. Unless hair has been permanently damaged for some chemical or health-based reason, our hair is and always should be growing in one way or another. Growing slow, growing fast, growing in crazy directions–it should be growing nonetheless. Everyone’s hair grows on average about ¼ inch every month. If your hair seems to be growing less than that, here are some explanations as to why that may be and tips to help.

1. Breakage- In my experience, this is the number one reason hair seems not to grow. A lot of times we forget to moisturize the ends of our hair so they dry up and break off. You must remember that the curlier your hair, the less likely oil is to reach the end of the strands, so that’s where you need to step in. It is just as important to oil the ends of your hair, as it is to oil the scalp.

2. Split Ends- Split ends can be caused from lack of moisture, heat, chemicals, and plain carelessness. It’s important to trim chemically treated hair every 6-8 weeks, and natural hair every 3-5 months, and make sure to keep hair moisturized to avoid split ends. When hair splits at the end, it splits all the way up the shaft causing breakage and creating a thinner strand. Wearing weave and extensions can also cause split ends, so you will want to trim a little every time you take your extensions out.

3. Scalp Build Up- Grease and other heavy products can clog your scalps pores, stunting the growth of your hair. Your scalp needs to be able to breathe! Use light products that penetrate your scalp and hair. Try to use all-natural essential oils and avoid grease, wax, or jam. If heavy product is required for styling, be sure to shampoo or clean your scalp with an astringent at the end of the day.

4. Diet/Medication- Everything that goes into our body effects what comes out of it… including our hair. Make sure to maintain a healthy diet full of live foods and drink a lot of water. If you’re taking medication, speak with your nutritionist about taking vitamins. Biotin and Vitamin E are both great for hair growth.

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Anslem “NWSO” Samuel’s Naked With Socks On is an award-winning relationship blog. Each week, NWSO will share his candid thoughts on women, love, life and all the fun stuff in between with MadameNoire.

As I was reading through the comments on last week’s post, “Real Men Like Real Hair – Why Weaves Don’t Work,” I noticed an old conversation come back up. A brother who goes by the screen name MrHealingHands chimed in his thoughts on women who don’t upkeep their weaves. No biggie, because in essence I wrote the same thing in my post.

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