20.6.11

Book: James Mollison's "Where Children Sleep"

James Mollison traveled around the globe and took some incredibly eye-opening photos of children’s bedrooms. He then compiled them into a book, titled Where Children Sleep. Each pair of photographs is accompanied by an extended caption that tells the child’s story. The differences between each sleeping space is striking.


To help, visit Save the Children
To buy: Amazon

15.6.11

Food for Thought: Jaime Morrison Curtis

Source
There is no "man's work." You can change a tire, build a fire, take out the trash, invest your savings, fix the plumbing, and so forth. Now, if a nice man wants to help you with those things, and you want his help, by all means take it. You have nothing to prove; I just don't want you to count on a male human handling things for you that you are entirely capable of handling yourself. 
Remember that most fairy tales were written by men. Some of the greatest writers of children's fables were male: the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, even Walt Disney. You are not a tiny princess awaiting rescue by a valiant man, a symbol of frailty and naivete, or the punch line in a morality tale. The women in those stories were crafted by a different sex at a different time for a different audience; these days you slay the dragon yourself. 
You are more than a footnote in someone else's story. Don't be "the other woman." She's always a quick side note in the great saga of another couple's love. Cast yourself as the lead in your own life, please. 
Take yourself on dates.A delicious restaurant, a visit to a museum, a matinee -  you are your own best company. 
Being intelligent, beautiful, wealthy, talented, witty, or powerful is meaningless if you are not also kind. 
These and more in Prudent Advice.

11.6.11

Food for Thought: Maya Angelou


“Love life, engage in it, give it all you’ve got… because life truly does give back, many times over, what you put into it.” - Maya Angelou

Food for Thought: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

9.6.11

Ode to Dark (Skinned) Girls

From The Crunk Feminist Collective by rboylorn on 6/9/11

she waited
patiently
and in silence
never admitting
out loud
that she secretly wanted to be
light
skinned
brown but in a lighter shade
she would say it out loud
but in whispered tones
"make me white-like
damn near transparent
so that these people can see through me
instead of just past me…
make me
beautiful!"
like the color of the earth I am
but
this skin,
this house to my soul
is only almost pretty
they say
and if I weren't so dark
I might be worth
lovingwantingfuckingstayingbeing
but instead I am just
tolerated
in the dark or in secret
or worn on your shoulder
like
an unnecessary accessory
creating your celebrity
because
i
am
dark
er
than
you
teach me how to love
myself
brilliantlyBrownBlackMahoganyEbonyqueen-like
BronzedCocoaButterDreamChild
the color of fire
in the middle of its escape
skin and eyes round
and regal at once
You are beautiful
I am beautiful
the color of coffee with no cream
dark like the bittersweet chocolate of my dreams
caramel-coated coquette
honey dipped and full of vigor
full lipped and full bodied
full
dark-skinned and exquisite
majestic even
with your brown-black self!
Black is beautiful
You are beautiful
I am beautiful
We are beautiful

To read the entire blog post, click here.