21 Things I Wished I Understood before I Hit 21....

I'll be trurning 21 this week and I've been reflecting on the past alot these couple of days and I came up with a list. I'm going thru a phase where my post are self reflective yet beneficial to u guys so...

21 Things I wished I Understood Before 21

1) Never ask a man the same question (repeatedly) and expect a nice response when he finally gives you a different answer.

2) If you can get something for free, don’t pay for it.

3) If you’re good at something, Dont waste the talent

4) Let love find you. It’s the best way as chasing it rarely works out.

5) Understanding people.  The trick is to pretend really annoying people are invisible.

6) Keep some of your future goals to your self.. Keep the doubters doubting :)

7) Always inconvenience yourself for your family and friends.

8) The easiest way to chat a man up (but give the impression you’re not chatting him up) is to compliment him on something he’s wearing.

9) Picking a side when two friends are fighting is a bad move always stay neutral.

10) If you lose a bf/gf after a viscous argument, don’t go around telling people how badly it ended. Just as you should never speak ill of the dead, never speak ill of dead relationships. Let all dead relationships rest in peace, that way they can’t come back to haunt you.

11) No matter what you do some people just won’t like you, don’t you dare spend time trying to change their minds.

12) Just because someone wants what’s best for you, doesn’t mean they know what’s best for you. Stick to your instincts.

13) Rejection is as inevitable. It’s how you react to it that matters.

14) Save before you spend.

15) Embrace being alone (only child syndrome)

16) Quit moaning, some people have real problems.

17) Emotional outbursts just make you look crazy! lol.

18) Before you rant on about ‘being true to yourself’ figure out who you really are. It’ll help things in the long run.

19) You have the right to get dressed up whenever you see fit.  Never contemplate not wearing something because you’re worried about how people will perceive you. Every day in life is a fashion opportunity.

20) Enjoy being young. Compared to the real world, all three are a walk in the park.(So they say)

21)  Learning not to allow past relationships effect present or future relationships

Dance Spotlight : Dance Brazil

I realized that I was wasting my time just going to school and home and do things occasionally. So I took a leap from my norm.. A daughter of a Haitian-Martinquian poet, I loved the arts in all forms from music, art, and dance. For the past coupke months Dance has been my main focus.

DANCE BRAZIL 

A company formed in 1977 by founder Jelon Vieria. For over thirty years, DanceBrazil has thrilled audiences across the Unites States and throughout the world with its dazzling artistry, which is inspired by the cultural tapestry of Brazil. Whether in the streets or on stage in the most prestigious theaters, the dancers and musicians of DanceBrazil never fail to enthrall audiences with the company’s unique fusion of Afro-Brazilian movement, contemporary dance and Capoeira, the traditional dance/martial arts form that had its origins in Africa and evolved in colonial Brazil as a means of fighting enslavement.

 BINEY's Review 
Joyce Theater Saturday night, was filled people who were interested in seeing what dance Brazil dance company had to offer. THEY SURE DID OFFER A LOT!!!!. From the Afro Brazilian music , martial arts and complex choreography it was not a typical dance show with the classical pas des deux or pas de trois the whole company was involved I admire that. 

  "A Jornada (The Path)"

I enjoyed this piece. The dancers opened with a known Martha Graham technique of the contract and release movements from the floor.  The costumes were bright and lose fitting. Dance Brazil's aesthetic is the use of martial arts in their work.

Dance Brazil is must see. Sadly the season is over but next season take some time to check them out.

xoxo -Biney

BEYONCE!!!- New Music

Spring Time Fun

Spring is taking way to long to arrive but its April why not mix it up a little...

For this look I thought it would be cool to mix up some of my summer clothes with my winter finds. Since mother nature is pretty confused.

I took a over sized sweater and mixed with some spring/summer olive crop ankle jeans and threw on a pair of nude pumps, and a bunch of accessories! 
This will be a great idea during those chilly days...

Top:Regular White Cami

         Sweater: Forever 21                

Crop Trousers: Boutique

Shoes:  Aldo(Spring)      

Bracelet:Vintage            

Ring(s):Animal ring(H&M), bracelet ring (Couture:BrittanyMiranda) 

 photo(s) credit: Edwin P Lucent Eyes/ ChromaStyle

ps. I still need a lens... once that is accomplished more outfit post will be available :)                        

Throwback Time

TLC- Creep


Boys II Men- Motown Philly


Xscape- Just Kickin It


Dru Hill- 5 steps


Sammie- I like It


... Throwback moment

Fitness Spotlight : Elesha Albert's BOOT CAMP

I've been slacking on my fitness for the past couple months. I started to go back to the gym but my busy schedule is not allowing me to be consistent. So I thought hummm.. what if I get a trainer who will force me to do things lol. I found her and her name is Elesha Albert!!! My boot camp starts in 2 weeks under her supervision in prospect park ! She's NO JOKE ! but Im ready for the pain !

If you guys are interested in finding a boot camp or a trainer her info is below :

Elesha Albert
http://twitter.com/EleshaAlbert
http://eleshacourtney.wordpress.com/

AHHHHH! Stress !

 

It's that time again..... School will be over first week of may, and I'm staring to feel the pressure. My summer of summer school and traveling is upon me. Wish me Luck ! :)

Army Of Best Friends

The friends we need to keep.

1) The Ride or Die
They may not be very popular or particularly interesting, however they’re loyal and have a pure heart. This type of loyalty cannot be bought and should be treasured. Very few friends are ‘Ride or Die’; in fact if you find two, I’d say you’re incredibly fortunate.

2) The Truth Teller
We all need a friend who is brutally honest with us. Those bold enough to speak the truth, when others pacify us with what we want to hear, rather than what we need to hear.

3) The Left Brain
You need a strategist. Someone with enough intellect to weigh up the options and offer the best rational solution to the problems we encounter.


4) The Right Brain
Life is meaningless without creatives (I’m biased). You need a creative friend who is full of ideas. Whilst your left-brain friend instructs you on how to execute your idea, your right-brain friend infuses your ideas with that extra bit of greatness.

5) The Enthusiast
We all need someone that’s always excited about we you do. They balance the left-brain friend (who tends to border on cynical) and give us the necessary push when we want to give up.

6) The Carer
Caring friends are often kind to a fault. Their nature means they place the needs of others before their own. Most become friends with carers because they’ll be there for them in their time of need. My stance is quite different. I think it’s our duty to be friends with carers so we can be the person to take care of them.

7) The Spiritual Guru
Whatever we chose to believe (or disbelieve) in, we need a friend that shares our faith/life philosophy. Such friends are there to reinforce our values and warn us when we begin to stray.


The Friends we need to cut.


1) The Doubter
Whenever you vocalise a dream, they offer up a litany of reasons of why it won't work. Many of us don’t realise the power of the words we speak and the words others speak into our lives. For that reason the doubter should be kept at bay.

2) The Volcano
They have a notoriously violent temper and the capacity to be extremely poisonous with their words. Thus far you’ve only seen them blow up around other people, however one day they will erupt all over you.

3) The Shadow
You cut your hair. They cut their hair. You buy a car. They buy a car. They always seem to ‘coincidentally’ do things you planned to do months before.

Sidebar: My aunt has a theory that female ‘shadow friends’ grow up to be ‘husband thieves’.

I think anyone that needs to model their personality on another person isn’t worth knowing. Give them space to find themselves (or become someone else).

4) The User
They only call you when they need something and aren’t inclined to change because everyone enables their behavior.

5) The Liability
They're so prone to ignorant/scandalous behavior, they're beginning to put your repuatation in jeopardy.

6) The Gossip
If she tells you her friend’s business, she’s telling her friends your business. Don’t ever believe a gossip likes you too much to spread your business. Professional gossips don’t adhere to ethical codes.

7) The Absent Kid
Remember that kid in school who was constantly absent, but always seemed to turn up when something fun was happening, like sports or mufti day? Many of us have friends who behave in a similar manner. Those that disappear from our lives when we need them most. They shift us up and down their priorities yet expect to be treated like demigod's.

8) The Backhanded Compliment Expert

Despite being a ‘friend’ they persist in complimenting us in a way that exposes our flaws and makes us feel insecure. Their comments have always irked you, but you’ve been afraid to openly express your annoyance for fear of being labeled paranoid.

9) The Ruthless Opportunist
Ambition is one thing, but being ruthlessly ambitious is another. Anyone who's so driven, they’ll drive over others on their path to success, should be avoided.
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I'm blessed to have known Rachel, Kimika,Danielle, since elementary and its great to still have them in my life despite the good and bad ... but look at this well thought-out list of mine, and see who fits the categories in your life. :)

More Black Men in Prison Then Enslaved Since 1850

ColorLines' Thoai Lu is reporting that the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates that as of 2008, there were more than 846,000 black men in prison, making up 40.2 percent of all inmates in the system. The article highlights a recent talk given by author Michelle Alexander, who puts those numbers in context. Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, told an audience at the Pasadena Branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, "More African-American men are in prison or jail, on probation or parole than were enslaved in 1850, before the Civil War began."

Alexander argues that prisons have become the latest form of economic and social disenfranchisement for young people of color, particularly black men. In it, she grapples with a central question: If crime rates have fluctuated over the years and are now at historical lows, then why have rates of incarcerated men of color skyrocketed over the past 30 years? The "war on drugs," which focuses primarily on communities of color, is the answer, although multiple studies have proved that whites use and sell illegal drugs at rates equal to or higher than blacks. Despite this data, four of five black youths in some inner-city communities can expect to be incarcerated in their lifetimes.

Alexander discusses how convicted felons are subject to forms of discrimination reminiscent of the Jim Crow era. This includes being denied the right to vote, automatically excluded from juries and legally discriminated against in employment, housing, access to education and public benefits, much like their parents or grandparents. 

Alexander raises a pressing issue as states like Florida move to privatize prison systems and strip convicted felons of the right to vote even after completing their sentences. The only thing sadder than having more men in prison now than in slavery during 1850 is that many don't understand that slavery is still legal within the prison system. Indeed, it is the only place where slavery is still legal in the United States. It is clear that our community is in trouble. What are we going to do about it?

by nsenga.burton via Theroot.com

.... Sigh....