As a little girl (and for that matter, as a teenager) I was so self-conscious about letting people see me dance. I think it all goes back to fourth grade, when I was in non-optional after-school jazz and tap classes. Although I possessed natural rhythm, the little outfit that they forced me to wear just wasn’t appropriate for my chubbiness, and after getting teased by a few seventh graders I pretty much put my dance aspirations to rest. The sting still remains, but in adulthood I’ve miraculously lost the ability to be embarrassed, and as a consequence tend to have…

I don’t have anything to say about this.

I’m spent

Who says the entrepreneurial spirit of the black community is dead?

You don’t need a computer, typewriter, or fancy sign from Kinkos to go into business. You also don’t need a command of punctuation mark usage or capital letters. All you need to do is hit the streets with whatever you’ve got, and you’re in the hair business! I had to know – what exactly is “8 Braids” and “8 Extensions?” In a fit of investigative journalism/instigation-driven mocking, I called the number on the flier (I removed it from the photo for this post) pretending to be interested in an appointment. The stylist informed me that 8 braids means 8 cornrows going straight back, likewise for 8 extensions, just with

I’ve been super busy this week with big things happening, but it’s Wednesday so I have to at least give you something to make you go “what the eff?” real quick. It’s times like these that I wish I could talk more about dating and relationships on this blog. The kaleidoscope of young urban professionals, confused hipsters, baby boys, ethnically ambiguous immigrants, babydaddies, bitter divorcees, and aspiring rappers that is the dating spectrum for an overly open-minded thirty-something black woman such as myself is pretty entertaining stuff, but privacy comes first. Instead, check out this dating service sizzle reel from…

There are three types of people on online: the kind who have never heard of Brother Franklin, the kind who have only seen him out of the corner of their eye once or twice, and the kind who watch his videos as often as possible just for a pick-me-up. The purpose of this post is to turn you into that last person, and as usual you’ll either love me or hate me for it.

First a primer: A few months ago a video of a man with a very special feeling about the Lord blazed across the internet.

Please note that this video was posted in May, so the “Remember The Time” combination towards the end was completely

Anyone who’s spent a little time in Philadelphia knows that we have a distinctive culture all our own. One of our dirtier little secrets is Jomar. This small chain of stores sells anything you can think of at a deep discount. Sure most of the stuff is off-brand, damaged, really dirty or just fell off of a truck. So what if my father, who is as notorious a bargain hunter as I am, once found a pair of pants there with a mousetrap stuck to them (you know, the glue kind). And even more of a so what if all of the signs and price tags are produced on ink jet printers in a not very glamorous Times New Roman font? There are bargains in there! A friend of mine spotted this very what-the-eff-worthy display at a Jomar in South Philadelphia.

As soon as she showed me this I hopped in the car to see for myself. What the eff is “ethnic hair deodorizer” and how can I get my hands on some before they inevitably run out?

I love The Pope’s hats, everyone single one of ‘em. In fact I was in search of one not too long ago that I could modify for my Queen Latifah costume for Halloween last year (I ended up going as ‘Kwanzaa’ instead because I could not find the proper chapeau). This is exactly where Craigslist, which never ceases to amaze me, could have come in. Click on this graphic, courtesy of “Best of Craigslist,” and contemplate the state of society.

Guys . . . you know. . . we’re all having tough times. Pinching pennies, tightening belts, and cutting open tubes of toothpaste for that last brush-worth instead of just tossing them isn’t just thrifty, its mandatory. I’ve been using the same stick of deodorant until the plastic scratches my pits and banging ketchup bottles against the table before I dare open a new one. And yes, I’m rocking last year’s flip-flops. But come on, yo.

Wearing someone else’s flip-flops is not simply a sure road to foot fungus, but its just downright nasty. Times are not tough enough

You think black folks got problems getting into swimming pools these days? A heatwave is sweeping across parts of China bringing temperatures of over 104 degrees so folks over there have to cool off somehow. How about a cool and quiet day at the beach? Set up your umbrella and sprawl out on the soft sand…

Hop into the ocean and let the cool salt water soothe your hot n’ tired body…

Bella Mafia Quack-a-Fella Records Incorporated by Rhyme Syndicate Three Yellow Men Trillionaire Club. Learn.