Approach Your Physical Fitness Like You Do Your Finances
By Kevin R. Scott, AOL Black Voices
Fit Like A Star
Missy Elliott, D'Angelo, and Mary J. Blige have all been trained by fitness guru Mark Jenkins.
5 Steps to Physical Fitness:
Customize & Personalize Your Fitness Regime: Whether you choose low impact aerobics, an at home workout, strength training, yoga or a combination of all of the above, customize your workout by balancing what you need to do (exercises you don’t like doing) with what you want to do (exercises that you like doing).
Develop a Nutrition Plan and Not Just a Diet: Aside from eating nutritious meals, it’s important to realize that “cheating” happens- but should be monitored. Be careful about combining food and emotions.
Do Your Research: Ask yourself, your trainer, and/or your physician as many questions as possible. It’s key to know your own body type and to realize that not every fitness trend and concept will work the same for everyone.
Aim for long term success: It’s not always about the occasion. Proms, weddings, birthdays and other personal milestones should not dictate your fitness regime. They can serve as benchmarks for your progress however the overall goal is self-improvement.
Actualize financial goals along with your fitness goals. The old adage says, “When you look good, you feel good.” Being physically and mentally fit affects everyone’s earning potential, not just athletes and performers. The boost in self esteem can be one of the biggest income generating tools you can ever acquire.
More on BV Health
The motivation for getting in shape is often the example of the celebrities on television. The toned arms, tight abs and great skin have become requisites for most Hollywood and entertainment insiders and are not courtesy of their stylist. For the hard bodies that set them apart from the pack, many turn to celebrity trainers and fitness experts like Mark Jenkins who believe that fitness initiatives should be aligned with all other long term goals.
Mark is the author of The Jump Off: 60 Days To A Hip Hop Hard Body and is personally responsible for the physical reinventions of celebrities like
Mary J. Blige, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Missy Elliott, D’Angelo and Brandy.
He’s found that when you equate physical fitness with one’s personal financial bottom line, commitment becomes more realistic. “The diet approach doesn’t really work with most of my high profile clients. You’ve got to show them how it’s a part of their economic plan. You make better decisions if you’re getting more nutrients, you’re gonna have more energy so you can work harder and make more money and have more longevity, and be more successful” says Mark.
Physical appearance is directly related to self esteem asserts Jenkins. “When I trained Johnny Cochran, he would say it makes a difference in the way people perceive him when he was wearing a suit and it’s fitting him a certain way.”
Understanding the links between physical fitness, self esteem, and wealth building are key components to any overall plan for self improvement.
2005-12-11 19:42:00
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Is It Too Late for Reparations?
By LaToya F. Drake, AOL Black Voices
Mary Frances-Berry
Former U.S. Civil Rights Chair, Mary Frances Berry resurrects the reparations debate with her new book, 'My Face Is Black Is True: Callie House and the Struggle for Ex-Slave Reparations.'
Buy 'My Face Is Black Is True'
More than 40-years removed from the Civil Rights Act, questions remain on how much black Americans have accomplished. Faced with allegations of racial and class discrimination following Hurricane Katrina, a penal system that disproportionately incarcerates black males and pending expiration of certain provisions in the Voting Rights Act, the issue of reparations has been overshadowed by more immediate political issues. Dr. Mary Frances Berry, former chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, resurrects the issue with her latest book, 'My Face is Black is True: Callie House and the Struggle for Ex-Slave Reparations.'
Berry has spent a large part of her life as a civil rights advocate, an outspoken one, that some would call headstrong. She was educated at Howard University and earned a PhD and a law degree from the University of Michigan. Appointed to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights by President Carter, President Clinton designated her chairperson in 1993. She served in that capacity until she resigned in December 2004. During her tenure, the Commission produced reports on Florida and the 2000 Presidential Election, affirmative action and police brutality in New York.
'My Face Is Black is True' tells the story of Callie House, a woman born just as the Civil War began and who later sought compensation for her years as a slave. House organized and mobilized a coalition of ex-slaves who lobbied for a piece of the financial boon built and sustained by their labor.
The story frames the debate about whether a debt is owed to the minority community for slavery and, if so, whether the campaign for reparations has a place in the current political dialogue. BV spoke with Berry about the answers to those questions and her new book, among other things.
Why is the issue of reparations relevant today?
I started writing this book because there has been increasing discussion of reparations, beginning with Randall Robinson’s The Debt, which brought the subject to the forefront. In the last 10-15 years, there has been increasing mobilization to look into this issue of reparations. Polls taken after Katrina say 85 percent of blacks are in favor of reparations, but that number has gone up and down. When modern discussions began on the failure of past movements for reparations, many stated it had to do with a backlash against the civil rights movement. If people were no longer interested in the civil rights movement, the thought was that they were no longer interested in reparations.
Tell us a little about the heroine [Callie House] featured in the book and why we haven't heard her name before your book. I was recently at a conference of historians, and they had a plenary session on why they didn't know about Callie House! Some say it was because she wasn’t the kind of person who kept a diary. She wasn't very literate and didn't have lots of letters going back and forth between her and important people. Many of her contacts were other poor people and that was the nature of her correspondence. Her movement wasn't an elite organization and therefore she was overlooked. We probably didn't know much about her because she was a woman leading a movement at a time when women didn't lead organizations with both men and women involved. At that time, if women had leadership roles it was typically the church auxiliary.
What was it about this woman, and why did she have the ability to mobilize so many ex-slaves?
She was a charismatic figure. Though not educated, she understood the Constitution and always harped on the rights it granted, such as the right to petition the government. She also had a brilliant idea of having chapters throughout the country where members did more than discuss reparations. There were chapters around the country that focused on self-help. Even though they were poor, people would put their pennies together to help one another. For instance, if someone died or a woman lost her husband, they'd try to take care of the family and funeral expenses. It was the idea of chapters and people pulling together to help each other that resonated.
Do you think that it's possible to use House's example to rally a large number of African Americans around any one issue today?
The lessons we learned from Callie House's very successful movement (which was one of the most successful in history) should be applied today. A movement must focus on something people feel is an attainable goal; while reparations weren’t attainable, helping each other was attainable. A movement must focus on what people are interested in, not the leader's interests. The key is finding out what people are thinking and then acting on that.
Since we are far removed from slavery, do you think that a current movement for reparations could garner success, and how would you measure that success? (given that Callie House, who experienced slavery directly, was unsuccessful in gaining government support)
All over the world, we have seen reconciliation and apologies for evils that have been done to people for historical events like the Holocaust and for people who have been historically wronged. In the US, we should at least have a study or commission, like the one Congressman Conyers has been trying to organize to see if the government should come up with money. If not money, should the government apologize to try to get rid of the historical wrong done to black people. I like the strategy of getting private corporations who supported slavery to give recompense in the form of scholarships or aid, but I'm not exactly sure how reparations should be given.
On the Pulse
What do you think are the most important issues facing Black Americans?
1. Civil rights/voting rights. The Voting Rights Act is about to expire, and we want our right to vote protected. We should focus on trying to make sure voting rights are protected because our voting rights weren’t protected in Florida in 2000 or in Ohio in 2004. Voting is the keystone in the arch of democracy, and how to make our vote real is extremely important.
2. Figuring out a way to better educate our children. We know how to do it, but don't always do it. Kids need resources and attention. We know this but don't always produce it. We need a concentrated focus on education because most of what is being said isn't being done and isn't effective.
3. The criminal justice system, particularly in states such as Virginia, deserves attention. There are disparities in the criminal justice system with black Americans who are on death row who didn't commit the crime, or there is DNA evidence suggesting they did not commit the crime for which they are accused.
What do you make of the Tookie Williams execution?
The issue was not just Mr. Williams; if he didn't do the crime, which he says he did not do, then there's no way to find out now because he is gone. It makes me reluctant to say the death penalty should be used. I think there should be a movement to do something about the other people who are not a 'Tookie Williams.' I'd hope our leaders would continue to look into the many others who are on death row, not just pick up with one celebrity and then move on after he is gone.
What are you doing next -- what's on your plate?
I'm teaching at the University of Pennsylvania, and I will continue to train to educate our next generation of leaders.
Get More of Today's Top News Stories
For more on civil rights, visit the U.S. Civil Rights Commission at http://www.usccr.gov/.
For more on Congressman John Conyers' proposal to study African American reparations, visit www.house.gov/conyers/news_reparations.htm.
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Marion Barry Robbed at Gunpoint 
Former Washington Mayor Unharmed in Incident
Former Washington Mayor Marion Barry, now a city councilman, was robbed Sunday night.
WASHINGTON (Jan. 3) - Former District of Columbia Mayor Marion Barry was robbed at gunpoint at his apartment by some youths who had helped him carry his groceries.
Barry, who wasn't injured in the Sunday night robbery, said he gave the youths a couple of dollars for helping him with his groceries and they left. They returned, however, and pointed a gun at his head and took his wallet, which contained cash and credit cards, Barry told WRC-TV.
Barry, 69, is a member of the City Council and served four terms as mayor. In his third term, he was videotaped in 1990 in a hotel room smoking crack cocaine in an FBI sting. The following year, he served a six-month prison sentence.
He is awaiting sentencing later this month in federal court on his guilty plea to two misdemeanor counts stemming from his failure to file income tax returns in 2000.
1/3/2006 07:54:22
Copyright 2005 The Associated
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When to Trash Your Beauty Stash
By Bailey Enos Orenia, Special to AOL Black Voices
Long-Lasting Lipstick 
Just like food, beauty products go bad. How long can they survive in your cabinets? It depends. All products -- lipsticks, foundations, etc. -- fall within a certain category, and once the expiration date hits, they’ve got to go.
Keep in mind that although a product has a general lifespan, you can contaminate it by sharing with others or dipping your finger into the product. Check out these quick tips below to know when it’s time to discard your beauty products.
Foundations will last for at least one year. Liquid foundations need to be replaced when the product starts to separate. Cream foundation should be replaced once it starts to harden.
Eye shadows live the longest, lasting up to two years. Although, like cream foundations, cream eye shadows start to go bad once they starts to harden. Powder eye shadow should be discarded when it looses its powdery consistency.
More Tips
Been away from Style & Beauty? Here's what you missed.
Mascara should be replaced every three months or sooner. If the product starts to thicken or harden, it’s time to put it out to pasture.
Eyeliner usually has a lifespan of a year and a half. Liquid eyeliner will start to crack once it’s beyond the expiration date. An eyeliner pencil has expired once it becomes hard and will no longer draw on smoothly.
Lipstick will last for one to two years. If your lipstick no longer goes on smoothly, then it’s time for a new tube. Lip glosses last up to a year and will start to separate when the product has gone bad.
Skin care products can last up to a year. But if you are using an all-natural product, be sure to read the label for an expiration date. Also, if you start to notice any discoloration or a foul odor, then it’s time to bid it adieu.
Smooches!
About the Author
Bailey Enos Orenia is a celebrity makeup artist and owner of Bo Studios in the Washington, D.C. area.
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http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/thegospel/index.html
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JIMMY SCOTT : IF YOU ONLY KNEW http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/jimmyscott/index.html
JIMMY SCOTT: If You Only Knew is a film portrait of the now famous jazz vocalist who was “rediscovered” decades after he disappeared from the public eye.
Born in Cleveland in 1925, Jimmy Scott's early years were filled with devastating hardships. At age 12, he was diagnosed with Kallmann's Syndrome, a rare hormonal condition that kept his body—and his voice—from developing beyond boyhood. Seven months after the diagnosis, his beloved mother, the sole guardian of Scott and his nine siblings, was killed in a car accident. Her children were separated and sent to live in foster homes. 
Scott, who had inherited his mother’s love of music and singing, began working as a valet at some of Cleveland's black theaters. His dream was to break into show business, earn enough money to buy a house and reunite his siblings. He soon joined a vaudeville review headed by Estella Young and found a new family in his fellow performers. At the urging of his friend Redd Foxx, Scott went to New York and landed a job as one of the Lionel Hampton Band's featured vocalists. In 1950, the band released a recording of “Little Jimmy Scott” singing "Everybody's 
Somebody's Fool." The song was an immediate hit, but it broke Scott’s heart. His name was not on the record. As he recalls, "It was all about Lionel Hampton and that's the way the package worked."
Scott's uniqueness may have worked against him as well. As his biographer David Ritz says, "In the macho world of jazz, there's not a lot of liberal thought about sexuality. Here comes Jimmy, who's straight, who has an affliction, whose physical manifestations are smallness and smoothness…. It's going against a lot of cultural conventions." Yet while some of the men in the jazz world may have had a problem with Scott, the women in the audience loved him. He fell in love and married, but the relationship ended badly. Three subsequent marriages failed as well.
As for Scott’s career, history repeated itself again when he recorded "Embraceable You" with his friend Charlie Parker. Once again, his name wasn't on the album—nor did he ever receive any royalties. Many of the record companies who controlled jazz music during the 1950s and ‘60s were notorious for exploiting their talent, and Scott had the misfortune of signing with one of the worst execs in the industry: Herman Lubinsky of Savoy Records, who, as Ritz says, “was a real albatross around Jimmy’s neck for years.” Twice, Scott was on the verge of finally releasing a hit record, once with the Ray Charles-produced "Falling in Love Is Wonderful" and later with the Joel Dorn-produced Atlantic Records album "The Source." But both times, Lubinsky invoked an old contract and had the records yanked from the shelves.
Doc Pomus
Jimmy in Japan
Bitterly disappointed, Scott returned to Cleveland and worked as a waiter at Bob's Big Boy, a dishwasher, a nurse's aide and a hotel elevator operator, occasionally playing small gigs in a local club. The jazz world had all but forgotten him until 1984, when famed jazz station WBGO in Newark invited him to perform on the air. Next came a three-night engagement for Scott, who was then 60 years old. Word began to spread among his fans: not only was he still alive, he was better than ever. After record industry leaders heard him sing at his friend Doc Pomus’s funeral, they were convinced, too. In 1992, Warner Brothers released Scott’s album All the Way, which was nominated for a Grammy. Since then, he has recorded eight more critically acclaimed albums. At the age of 78, he performs frequently, touring Europe and Asia.
Blending concert footage, rare photos and candid interviews with Scott, his family and his colleagues, 
JIMMY SCOTT: If You Only Knew is a moving testament to one of the most distinctive vocalists of our time and his lifelong attempt to reunite his family and find solace through his art—a bittersweet story as unforgettable as the music he continues to make after all these years.
With the release of Holding Back the Years Jimmy Scott returns to the romantic ballads that brought this living legend to the forefront as Jazz vocalist. Jimmy's performance on Holding Back the Years reminds us of the passion and exhilaration of his vocal ability and the uniqueness of his phrasing. Much of the material on Holding Back the Years was completely new to Jimmy-this new release juxtaposes classics from Jimmy's repertoire with the material of contemporary songwriters such as Prince, Bryan Ferry, John Lennon, Mick Hucknall and Elton John-but without a single hesitation Jimmy Scott tackled this new material with the excitement of a debut artist and the skill of the seasoned veteran that he is. The wonderful album cover is by internationally known artist, Mark Kostabi, Jimmy's friend Lou Reed has contributed liner notes to the album. The Bravo network will soon be broadcasting a documentary on Jimmy's life. In Session at 54th will be taping a live performance in October hosted by David Byrne. Club performances are scheduled from September to December.
Lou Reed on Jimmy Scott:
"I first met Jimmy Scott through the remarkable songwriter Doc Pomus. I'd heard about him for many years. At the gathering after Doc's passing Jimmy sang. He has the voice of an angel and can break your heart. He did that day and many others.I've heard and even sung with Jimmy many times since then. Here is the singer's singer if labels mean any thing. Listening to Jimmy is like having a performing heart. The experience of life and the art of expression sing through Jimmy and make us partners in his incredible passion. I love him and I never want to say goodbye. When the song stops with Jimmy's last note we're back in the world as it was. Not quite so pretty, not quite so passionate. And we can only wait for Jimmy to sing again and take us that little bit higher." Lou Reed
TRACK LISTING:
What I Wouldn't Give
The Crying Game
Jealous Guy
Holding Back The Years
How Can I Go On
Almost Blue
Slave to Love
Nothing Compares 2 U
Sorry Seems to be the Hardest
Don't Cry Baby
Holding Back the years Courtesy of : www.artistsonly.com
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This Week's Blog Submitted by Shelle'
- Moderators Comments - Happy New Year --- Thanks for your support check us out weekly and as always we need your input send us feedback and your articles or events happening in the black community. If you know about any interesting people share with us February is Black History Month. Help me to gather some interesting articles for the post or send me your thoughts to michellelane1@gmail.com. Clickon the link below and send email/comments to empowering spirits freeing your mind weblog site.
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Enjoy 2006 !
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