REDD RANTS: About The Decline of Marriage and Commitment.

I read an article today that disturbed me. The marriage rate of the American family has dropped down to about 20%. 20%!?! We have to do better with this.The act of committing to one another, in front of your family and God, and living the rest of your life in Holy Matrimony is becoming scarce. But why is this?

Drake "Take Care" Samples

Drake's Sophomore Album Take Care, is a complete a masterpiece in my opinion. Not only lyrically, but the beats produced were crazy. Alot of the samples were used in such a creative way that I had to blog about it; we can thank Noah "40" Shebib for these. Some of these samples may surprise you:

REDD BLURB: Beyonce Releases Party Video

I don't want to overload The Reddlipstick Readers with Beyonce' videos, but seeing as Party was HIGHLY anticipated (at least in my book) I had to share it with you. I'm glad Beyonce' had a a laid back feel in the video. How do you feel about J.Cole's verse being used as opposed to Andre 3000's? watch&indulge. 





COMMENTS? 

REDD BLURB: Day26 New Music

Day26 is slowly re-emerging back into the music industry. If that's not good enough news for you, every 26th of the month, the group is releasing new music. October 26th (*ahem*,the day after my birthday) the group released the song, "Made Love Lately". I'm loving the vibe of this new song, it's not too far from their previous songs that we love, yet shows musical growth. listen&indulge.

The group is also releasing a webseries soon, check out the preview below. 

REDD BLURB: BEYONCE RELEASES LOVE ON TOP VIDEO

Beyonce releases yet another video from her album '4', "Love On Top", the song that she performed on the MTV Video Music Awards the same night that she announced her pregnancy. She takes a note out of New Edition's choreography for this one. Which Beyonce video is your favorite out of the ones she's released so far?

COMMENTS?

Other role models BESIDES Marilyn Monroe

Why is it that whenever I go into one of my friends dorm rooms, look at their screensaver on their computer, or even their Twitter screen name, something with Marilyn Monroe is ALWAYS included? This bothers me, especially for my women of color. Marilyn Monroe was indeed beautiful. I'm guessing her sultry, seductive charm, and her timeless trademarks (white dress, blonde hair, Monroe mole) are what draws females in, even a half a decade later. With that being said, there are alot of other women in that same category who would make just as good, if not better, role models. Read&Indulge for a few role models for women who I would hang up a poster of in my dorm room.

REDD BLURB: DRAKE POSTPONES ALBUM RELEASE

How do we feel about Drake pushing his album back, as well as the tour dates? I for one am very happy about it, seeing as though he was set to hit my hometown on the same day as my school's homecoming. Now I don't have to choose. Drake notes that he is pushing the album back to November 15th, to get his upcoming project "Take Care." 'exactly how we want it with no trimmings.' Read more about the decision HERE.

Reddlipstick Profiles: Kel Mitchell

If you're a 90's baby, or more recently have discovered shows like All That and Keenan and Kel through TeenNick's 90's are All That, you know and recognize Kel Mitchell very well. This comedian has made his claim to fame from sketch comedy, to certain sketches turning into Motion Pictures (ie Good Burger) and even cartoons for your younger siblings to enjoy (Clifford the Big Red Dog). More recently Kel has been focused on more than just acting. I've had the pleasure of chatting it up with Kel (and coughing it up; I was sick during this interview!) last week. Read&Indulge as Kel talks about giving back to the community, his new acting projects in the works, and being saved.

Mama's Boy Syndrome

"No woman will come before my Mama."

The saying that we as women know ALL too well, and that we have learned to except. Let's face it. The mama gave birth to the man that you love that was most likely saying this either to you, or in reference to you. They have been through it all together, as mother and son, those two against the world. And even if the potential wife, mother of his kids comes into his life, she will still always come 2nd to his mommy. Fair right? In some cases. But others...

Reddlipstick Profiles: China Phillips

A young woman whose been through an abusive relationship, constantly blaming herself for the downward spiral the relationship continued to spin down. In a relationship that was so stressful that it was making her physically sick, and question suicide. This same young woman made a promise to herself that she would never be in this situation again, reminded herself that God loves her, and set out to help other girls who are in her same situation, and give girls who have overcome this situaiton like she has a chance to share their story, with her website: www.gasafrdolls.citymax.com

Girlfriend Vs. Homeboys

Let's face it ladies: we've always been in the situation where we have played secondary to your man's homeboys. Getting your date pushed back for the Super Bowl Party, blowing out those candles you lit for that special dinner you prepared for your guy because he's at the club with his best buds. It gets annoying, and in the back of your mind you keep hearing that dreadful statement "Bros before hoes" but if your not a hoe..then what? This doesn't apply to you does it?

Natural Hair Campaign!

The Reddlipstick Blogger is inspired by African-American women embracing their natural hair! We've received pictures, stories, and hair care tips from women going through the natural hair transformation that you all can share! Read&Indulge (and watch) for the ideas sent in to The Reddlipstick Natural Hair Campaign! PLUS my embarrassing photo journey of ME when I was natural ages 0-13! LOL 

Relationship 101 with MeMpHiTz

This morning I talked to Antonia "Toya" Wright's Husband, Mickey "MeMpHiTz" Wright about EVERYTHING a girl would need to know about relationship-wise, coming from a man's point of view. Toya and MeMpHiTz relationship seems so perfect on Toya's Reality Tv Show, Toya: A Family Affair. Toya's so sweet and MeMpHiTz seems like the perfect guy. I often hear different women saying that are happy for Toya and asking "where can they get a man like that?" Coming from THAT man himself, MeMpHiTz breaks down everything from what men love about women to what they hate; what to look for and what to stay away from; from the first time he laid eyes on Toya to the oh-so embarrassing moment of her 'tooting' in his face! Read&Indulge as we get the scoop on Relationships and Men from the seemingly 'perfect' man. But he will be the first to tell you that. "Perfect does not exist".

Notable Female Choreographers

In light of Laurie Ann's new show "Born To Dance", I felt that it was appropriate to spotlight other notable FEMALE Choreographers. This is a generation that is quick to forget those who've paved the way for the ones who are popular today. This is crazy because I've had this idea in my head for THE LONGEST & now I'm finally bringing it to life. Check out some female choreographers of the 80-90s. You might be surprised at what they've choreographed.. I was!

REDDLIPSTICK CONTEST WINNER: ASIA LEATHERS

Get to know Asia! The second of the two winners of The Reddlipstick Contest. Read&Indulge for her winning contest entry, and little known facts about her! (Like her secret obsession, her biggest accomplishment, and little known talent)!

Reddlipstick Profiles: Interview with Jhene' Aiko

Jhene's Mixtape Cover: Sailing Souls

You remember this face as being Jhene' from the T.U.G Camp with B2K back when we were all obessing over them; singing on a few of their hooks, making appearances in videos. Maybe you remember her as B2K member's cousin Lil Fizz; hopefully not the latter, because that tagline is completely false.
(You can be shocked, it's okay, I was, too).


Now Jhene' is all grown up, physically, mentally, and musically, which shows in her new mixtape Sailing Souls, a very contemporary and SOULful sounding project very worthy of the name.


I had the pleasure of interviewing Jhene' bright and early this morning, on the earlier stages of her music career, now, and her personal life in between. Read&Indulge as you find out about her daughter, stomping out the 'Lil' Fizz's Cousin' tagline, and the moves and beautiful music this songbird is currently making.

NATURAL HAIR CAMPAIGN!

CALLING ALL NATURAL HAIRED GIRLS!





THE REDDLIPSTICK BLOG is hosting a Natural Hair Campaign for the Natural Hair Follow up on the post done a year ago, called GOOD HAIR which you can read HERE

Think of this as an internet forum for Natural Girls: Send in before and after pictures, videos of the transformation, tips for hair-care and etc! If anybody out there has a video of them actually cutting the relaxer out of their hair, that would be FABULOUS.

This campaign is only lasting for a week, so make sure you get your stuff in before August 10th!


Think of this as an internet convention for natural girls. 


& yes, I know that I am not natural, but I never thought I would see the day that African-American women embrace their natural texture! You Inspire Me.

Send in your Natural Hair things to: theREDDblog@yahoo.com or to the Contact Us Link at the top of the screen! Excited to see all of the entries!

XoXo!

CLICK HERE TO COMMENT!!!

REDDLIPSTICK CONTEST WINNER: BRENDANE TYNES

Meet Brendane Tynes; one of the two winners of The Reddlipstick Contest! Check out her winning entry, and her moving story; plus little known facts about her!

REDDLIPSTICK CONTEST RESULTS!

I tell you, it was a hard decision to make out of the entries, but TWO entries really stuck out to me. So I changed things around a bit. I have selected TWO Grand Prize Winners, who will receive the INTERVIEW as well as the Year-Long Subscription to Cliche' Magazine! Since I cheated and selected TWO GRAND PRIZE WINNERS, the 5 finalists will no longer be POSTED on the blog. However, they will still get contacted for a consultation prize. 

Got it?

Okay now, to the fun stuff. 

THE WINNERS ARE:

Brendane Tynes

Asia Leathers

Congratulations ladies! Stay Tuned for the Interviews and Winning Entries COMING SOON.

Also, don't forget to wish a VERY Happy Birthday to The Reddlipstick Blog! :D She has been up and running for a year today. 

XOXO!

You're NOT in High School Anymore.

NEWSFLASH PEOPLE! This might be the most obvious statement that's the LEAST comprehended EVER. People are constantly doing the same things that were okay and acceptable in high school (you know, high school is the time to learn, experiment, make mistakes and LEARN FROM THEM). But come on, alot of us are in college now. Stop it! For example:

Reddlipstick Profile: Avrey Smith

If the tall stature and freckled face of Avery Smith doesn't win the hearts of women all over, his various musical talents and humble personality should do the job. The fellas out there will more than likely respect his hustle, drive, and ambition. The mixture of all these traits makes for a great artist. I had the pleasure of talking to Avrey Smith this morning, about his upcoming music projects and appearance on 106 And Park as the Spotlight Artist this week. I could immediately tell that he was respectful, and about his business.

Addictions and other Vices

Truth is, everyone has a personal demon. Unfortunately, Today Amy Winehouse lost her battle with hers, which was drug abuse. The sad part about this is, she's not the first person who has. But, the even sadder part is that people are blaming her "self-destructive" behavior for her death, saying that it was her own fault, and that her actions led to those consequences. 

Twitter Taboos-The Socially Forbidden

Twitter Taboos- What's looked down on via Twitter. In other words, the things someone vetoed via Twitter, and then others ReTweeted and commented on so many times that it becomes true in the mind of some.

Clothing Line's-I started to name this section Urban Wear, since Black owned clothing lines such as Rocawear and Dereon have been vetoed by the Twitter Board, but I didn't for two reasons: #1 Because Urban Wear was already starting to lose it's cool for whatever reason even before Twitter became as popular as it is. And #2, it's not just urban wear. I've seen Aeropostale and even Hollister deemed unacceptable for wear. Why? Because too many people wear it I guess. If it's too popular or well-known it's not cool. Remember this. (According to Twitter).

The Return of 90's Nick!

Yes, I may be late but I don't care. 90's nick is coming back SERIOUSLY! No, it's not another Twitter rumor like I originally thought.. It came straight from KEENAN THOMPSON himself, sitting on the orange SNICK couch..wow, do you remember that?

Dear JK Rowling

JK Rowling,

Ever since I was as young as the age of 8 I was intrigued by your books; I noticed the extreme developement and raw talent in the writing, and I wanted to one day write books and evoke emotion JUST LIKE THAT. To see your books turn into a visual experience must be

Thank You Demi Lovato!

Even though I just did a post on Demi Lovato's New Single Skyscraper on the Cliche Magazine website, I HAD to get personal with it. I loved Demi Lovato ever since Camp Rock! Or even When The Bell Rings (LOL) I fell in love with her strong voice.

Aubrey Jay

Aubrey Jackson, better known to her fans as Aubrey Jay, is an aspiring Pop Singer, to say the VERY least. From her club banger "Love the DJ" to her naughty girl anthem "Bad", Aubrey jay is diverse in her music. She's also a motivator for young girls, with her non-profit organization, Aubrey's Angels, a songwriter, and a college student. Her professional yet approachable personality is what draws her fan-base in, besides her vocal ability, of course. What personally draws me in to Aubrey Jay the most is her drive, and her determination to make it exactly where she wants to go. Her passion for her craft is so evident, that I have no doubts that she will make it where she wants to go. 

JoJo's Cover to 'Marvin's Room'

ReddReaders know that I am a huge fan of JoJo, so I definitely had to make this post when I found out that she made yet ANOTHER Drake cover to his new release, Marvin's Room. Drake's version stems around a drunk phone call made to an old lover, with the lyrics "F*** that n*gga that you love so bad/I know you still think about the times we've had."

ACTUAL Basketball Wives

The debut of the new season of VH1's hit Reality TV series 'Basketball Wives' debuted last night.

**For more info on the show, check out my Cliche' Magazine post on the show HERE**

After I did my Cliche' Magazine  post, I noticed alot of people questioning why the show centers around females who are not ACTUALLY basketball wives (Although some characters have been married to Basketball Players in the past.). One character is even engaged to Chad Ochocinco, who is an NFL player.

These are some of the well-known Basketball Wives out there; and though they aren't featured on this particular reality show; ironically these ladies have all had one of their own. 

MONICA-R&B Singer Monica is married to LA Laker player Shannon Brown. They've been married since November 22, 2010, but the public found out later since the marriage was secretive. Monica had her own reality show, "Still Standing," to promote her album with the same title.

LALA-TV Personality Alani "Lala" Vasquez is married to former Denver Nuggets player Carmelo Anthony, who now plays for the NY Knicks. Lala and Carmelo became engaged Christmas Day in 2007; the couple married on June 10, 2010 , which aired on the the Reality TV Show "Lala's Full Court Wedding". 

KHOLE KARDASHIAN- Youngest of all of the Kardashian Sisters, Khole Kardashian was the 1st to get married; and is married to LA Laker player Lamar Odom. Khole and Lamar were engaged for about three weekds before tying the knot on September 27, 2009. The couple then got a spin-off of the show 'Keeping up with the Kardashians'  which focused more on the couple called 'Khole and Lamar'.

KEYSHIA COLE-  R&B Singer Keyshia Cole is just recently got married to Cleveland Cavalier player Daniel Gibson on May 21, 2011. The couple have a son together named Daniel Gibson Jr. Keyshia Cole 's reality series 'The Way it is', broke records in 2007 for being the #1 Original Reality TV series of the year. Her album with the same title, debuted at #6 on the Billboard Charts. The show, 'The Way it is' created a spin-off with her mother and sister, 'Frankie and Neffe'.

I don't know about you, readers, but I would love to see a Reality TV Show with all of these ladies TOGETHER. Although the drama of the VH1 series may not be there, these wives already have the fan base that could generate the ratings needed. All of these wives are fairly newlywed, so congratulations and happy marriages to the couples! Maybe a show could come when the couples are little more seasoned.

How do you think the show would be in comparison to the VH1 series?

Meet The Braxton's

If you thought that Grammy Award singer Toni Braxton was the only talent, loveable member of the Braxton family, then you've been hiding under a rock these past few months.

With WE's debut of the new reality show "Braxton Family Values", we see a peak into the life of Toni Braxton; following her behind the scenes of concerts as she deals with her Lupis, her bankruptcy.. and her 4 sisters.

The Braxtons may very well give the Kardashians a run for their money (Coming from me this is saying something, I am a HUGE Kardashian fan.) with strong personalities and unquestionable talent as well. The mother Evelyn, was formally an Opera signer and taught the girls how to sing at an early age. All of the sisters were in a group called The Braxtons before Toni locked down a recording contract.

To

TAKE A LOOK

MEET THE BRAXTONS--(from left to right)

Get to know the sisters personality in relation to the show Braxton Family Values

Towanda-- Towanda was also very successful musically, playing Lorelle in the Broadway play "Dreamgirls." She is now Toni's assistant. On the show Towanda can keep a pretty level head as well (the level levelheadedness dwindles down as the sisters get younger) , except for when dealing with her husband. On the show, Towanda's tagline is "The Responsible One", which pretty much wraps her up in a nutshell.

Trina-- Trina and Toni resemble each other the most out of the all of the sisters in my opinion. Trina is slightly laid back, but she can also have her dingy moments in the show. Trina's husband, Gabe has been unfaithful for 5 of the 7 years that they have been together, and the sisters feel as if trying to move past it is making her stressed. All in All, Trina is one of the more gentler sisters on the show

Toni-- is the most successful musically as everyone knows, and is also the oldest. On the show Toni is the most laid back of the sisters. She stays calm in hectic situations and knows how to keep a level head, especially when her sisters start their usual arguments.

Traci-- Traci's personalities is one of the strongest of the sisters, she is loud, opinionated, and sometimes brash (the sisters made her attend an etiquette class in one episode), but also humorous. Traci lost the chance of singing background with Toni a while back because she got pregnant around the time. She now wants the opportunity to sing with her sisters again.

Tamar-- Last but not least, Tamar. Tamar is the baby of the show, so she fights to make her presence known and very well succeeds. She has one of the strongest personalities of all the sisters, besides Traci, which is one of the reason they constantly butt heads. Tamar is dramatic, loud and obnoxious, and she slowly makes her way from the sister you hate to the sister that you LOVE to hate. Tamar is married to Vincent Herbert, who produces for Lady Gaga, and she plans to make her own solo career, NOT following in the steps of older sister Toni. With all of her "It's Always my fault.com"'s and "this is some bull you-know-what.net"'s, along with antagonizing her sisters, Tamar's antics make the show an even better watch.

CLIP OF THE GIRLS SINGING 

Braxton Family Values comes on every Tuesday night 9pm EST. I suggest that you tune in if you haven't already. This show is a MUST-SEE.
4.5 out of 5 REDDlips.

Beyonce's Back.

Beyonce hits the scene again with her new single "Run The World (Girls)", from her upcoming Album '4'. Beyonce has stated that 4 has always been a lucky number for her, being the day of her wedding (April 4, 2008, the day of her husbands birthday (Sean "Jay-Z" Carter, December 4, 1969), the day of her mother's birthday (Tina Knowles, January 4, 1954) , her own birthday, (September 4, 1981) and of course, the number of albums she will have had under her belt.

MY OPINION.
Beyonce is known her having her first single off any given album as being an anthem for women (Crazy in Love, Deja Vu, Single Ladies) with big band music and catchy choreography, and the new single 'Girls' falls right into line. Now I have to admit that even though I do love Beyonce, I did feel as if the song had to grow on me. I later realized it was because the song was not very radio friendly, and I'm not sure it was a good choice as her FIRST single. BUT, I do realize Beyonce wants to come back into the scene with a bang, which is what she very well did.

Usually when I don't like a song, after seeing the video it makes the song grow on me a little bit faster. I've stated that THIS video, puts you in exact mind of the song. If you love the song, you will probably love the video. If your indifferent about the song, you will probably be indifferent about the video. I don't feel like the video sways any opinion about the song, which can also be a good thing (if you love the song already, that is).

The video falls directly into the category of Beyonce. Meaning that it has no genre or style of anyone else, a category of her own. The choreography was Beyonce, the fashion was Beyonce, and so was the direction of the video. The fashion was also very couture, which I loved because it had a certain creepy edge without going so far as to actually SCARE viewers like other artists. I noticed that Beyonce has lost some weight in this video; I feel this may be because Beyonce is in a point in her career where being curvaceous won't be beneficial :( which is sad because I loved the curves.

ALL IN ALL: Beyonce doesn't disappoint, yet I'm not sure if she necessarily WOWs. It was like an upgraded version of the Beyonce genre, without stepping too far out the box. However, the Beyonce genre itself is something amazing.

3 OUT OF 4 REDDLIPS.

Fairytale Meets Real Life! (in Terms of FASHION)

Being that Cinderella is my all time FAVORITE Disney Movie, I just had to blog the similarities between Prince William's wedding wardrobe with the new Dutchess of Cambridge, Catherine (Kate) Middleton, and  Cinderella's marriage to Prince Charming. Even the Wicked Stepsisters of the Fairytale have resemblance to the William's Infamous Cousins, Beatrice and Eugenie. Yes, it may be far fetched but entertaining nonetheless. 

**Photos Courtesy of Hollywoodlife.com**

Beyonce's "Move Your Body!"

Beyonce remixed her single from her sophomore album 'B-day' "Get Me Bodied" and made it a fun song that kids can dance to -- "Move Your Body". Inspired by the "Let's Move" campaign to encourage kids to exercise, this video is full of dance moves to keep the youth and the youth at heart on their feet. I love it!

"Can't Take That Away From Me"

You may remember JoJo as "the teenage white girl with a soulful voice" back when she came out with her hit single, "Leave (Get Out) and her debut self-titled album.

She later came out with her sophomore album, "The High Road," not too long after, mostly with soft ballads, with a stronger pop feel more so than R&B. However, fans missed the soulful feel from the 1st album, which featured a remake of "Weak" by SWV.


Jojo (Joanna Levasque) disappeared from the scene for a while, but now she's back. With a mixtape. 


Yes, a mixtape.


"Can't take that away from me," is Jojo's latest project, which I completely fell in love with even after skimming the tracks. 


Jojo shows personality through this music; her name appears on the credits of every song. 


These strategically organized tracks start off with a fun, upbeat feel with "Can't take that away from me,"  that R&B feel that her fans love, as well as a mixture of other genres. Variety.


Jojo starts off the 2nd track, "Running on Empty" by saying "I'm a PYT with an attitude," as you can clearly tell throughout the CD.


Midway through the mixtape we see a side of Jojo we haven't seen in the past. "Just a Dream" talks of a day of a verge of defeat, singing softly "Take it away, I gotta bottle, I gotta finish, Take it away, Take it from me, cuz if you don't I might drown in it." The song ends with her rising above, 
"If it's in His plans for me, I will win, I'll just dream until then."


The mixtape then takes a turn towards the 80s, with back to back tracks "What You Like," with a retro beat, and "In The Dark" which puts you in the mind of early Madonna. (REDD's FAVES. XOXO)


Of course there is a ballad; "Boy without a heart," which is pretty much self-explanatory.


The CD then ends with "All I want is Everything" a 'sky is the limit' song about living out dreams. 


I give this mixtape 4 out of 5 reddlips. It was a perfect mix of pop, R&B, rock, and retro. Every track took an unexpected turn. It told a story, complete with a beginning, middle and end. It definitely showed off those vocals, and a raw side of Jojo that we are just beginning to see.  Definitely looking forward to that official album! Check out the mixtape and complete tracklisting here:


http://rap-up.bandcamp.com/album/cant-take-that-away-from-me


And Jojo's Blog:


http://translucentbrownsugar.tumblr.com/


XoXo, 

BREAKING NEWS: MUBARAK STEPS DOWN

It is a day to rejoice in Egypt.
After 32 years of being in office, President Hosni Mubarak has stepped down. 
After 3 weeks of protesting by Egyptians, Mubarak was determined to hold power. Until Friday, when protesters practically forced him out of office. Not taking "no" for an answer.

Vice President Sulieman's statement: "In these grave circumstances that the country is passing through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to leave his position as president of the republic. He has mandated the Armed Forces SupremeCouncil to run the state. God is our protector and successor."

Egyptian Ayat (YaYa) Soluiman says that she is extremely proud of the fact that they fought for so long for this. "You see many arabic countries have dictating presidents who have been in office as kings," she said. "it's easier in those countries for a politician to abuse his power." She also noted that it was "extremely scary" since communication was cut off, she could not talk to any of her family members. Ayat compares the ruling of Mubarak to the ruling of Saddam, with less brutal killings.

Mubarak flew himself to his palace 250 miles from Cairo. 


Ayat feels that to better things the government should be more organized to serve the people.
"I am very proud of the accomplishment," she said. "I hope it gets better from here.

I have A Dream.

In Honor of MLK Day, I've decided to share with my readers My Dreams for the Black Community.


*I HAVE A DREAM that more black men will continue to step up to the plate as a father figure, whether it is to their own children, or to another fatherless child. An absence of a father is more crucial to a child's mind than a person may think.


*I HAVE A DREAM that black women will discontinue to degrade themselves and exploit themselves sexually, and more will take on the challenge of what it really means to be a WOMEN, and set an example for the young women in the community.


*I HAVE A DREAM that the black community as a whole will come together to love one another, instead of finding ways to continue this long battle of self-hatred we have. I HAVE A DREAM that we will no longer divide ourselves in ways of skin color, hair texture, social status, etc, and come together as a race, and stand strong the way our ancestors have.


*I HAVE A DREAM that young men will no longer have to think that all they can measure up to are athletes and rappers. Although these careers can be very successful, I HAVE A DREAM that we can have more young men look up to the doctors, lawyers, and authors of today, and to be an example for the generation to come after.


*I HAVE A DREAM that the black community will continue to fight for our rights as we have in the past, and restore the bond that our ancestors have had for many years.


*I HAVE A DREAM that the Black Community continues to dream, life without dream is a life without meaning.


August 28, 1963.



LINES FROM MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. 
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies
hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction....The chain reaction
of evil--hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars--must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of
annihilation.

Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength To Love, 1963


Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against
love.
Martin Luther King, Jr., Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?, 1967


To be a Negro in America is to hope against hope.

Martin Luther King, Jr., Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?, 1967.


QUOTES FROM MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
"A man can't ride your back unless it's bent."


"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."


"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."


"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."




What's Your Dream?
XoXo,

Internet Hoaxes: What's to believe these days?

The Reddlipstick Blog was recently almost a victim of recent internet hoaxes. Which has brought to my attention of BIG of a problem it really is.

The latest to come to my attention and the reason that I am writing this blog post is the rumor that I've come across today: that the 1st lady Michelle Obama, was pregnant.

Excited, I quickly researched and posted the information, soon after realizing that it was indeed ANOTHER internet hoax.
SO I apologized gracefully for my mistake, and decided to blog about the problem at hand.

The most recent internet hoaxes are included but not limited to:


*Rapper, E40 dying.
*Singer Bobby Valentino dying in a car accident on Christmas Eve.
*R&B Legend Aretha Franklin dying of her recently diagnosed Pancreatic Cancer.
*Singer Keith Sweat dying of a stroke.
*Former CEO of Death Row Records Suge Knight being arrested for the death of the late rapper Tupac Shakur.

Just to name a few.

People have come to credit social-networking sites such as Twitter for the fast spreading of these hoaxes; the content "Tweeting" and "ReTweeting" of the questions asked, 'is the latest rumor true?' most coming from bogus internet sites who shall remain nameless.

These such rumors have taken light away from actual tragedies , such as Late R&B singer Teena Marie, "The Ivory Queen of Soul" recently passing away. "Tweeters" refused to believe it, saying "I won't believe it until I see a tweet from a verified Twitter Account."

Is technology making people gullible?

A lesson that I have learned as a blogger today, is to not to believe everything you read on the internet. The Internet is very customizable; any and everything can be put on the web for people to read and wonder about.

Make sure that the information comes from a reliable source; check the stats and other stories on the website. Make sure that the website is credible, and not a blogging site of "yellow journalism".

THE REDDLIPSTICK BLOG, however, credits itself on opinion based only off of core facts, along with poetry, fashion, etc.

Keep yourself safe, and strong-minded when it comes to the web. Don't fall for the internet hoaxes. CREDIBLE SITES ONLY. Watch the news on Television (CNN, MSNBC, etc)

Don't be a victim.

XOXO,