Winter Outfits

So ladies, winter is here. I don't know about you but it's my favourite time of the year. What's better than scarves, boots & jackets? But winter doesn't have to be about wearing oversized clothing just to keep warm. You can still keep it hip & fabulous.

Here a few of my favourite pieces for the season. Ooohh, I'm getting excited... Enjoy!!

CHOOSING THE RIGHT COLOGNE

Men, I know how hard it can be to choose the right cologne. Is it too strong? Does it represent me? Will girls like it? Here a few tips that will hopefully help you in making the right decision. Read on...

Choosing a cologne is not a task to take lightly. Much like choosing the proper suit, a cologne must fit you and your lifestyle. Finding the right combination to complement your lifestyle enhances your presence in the room or group and often makes a better first impression than any handshake.

The Sporty Man
Just because you lead an athletic lifestyle, doesn’t mean you have to smell like a locker room or old sports gear. If you know how to pick a cologne, the right fragrance can enhance your own natural scent and heighten it to reflect your world and attract like-minded women.

Best cologne options
Versace Pour Homme: A youthful mixture of musk on the bottom and bergamot riding over the top give the man under 30 an invigorating scent for any activity.

Acqua Di Gio by Giorgio Armani: A warm Mediterranean breeze comes to mind with Acqua Di Gio. The citrus top notes overlay a warm persimmon and bergamot blend. This is the scent for the young gentleman in his early 20s. Its gentle top notes have a strong foundation in the spicy undertones, revealing an energetic aroma.

The Young Pro
Regardless of your career path, you should do your best to present yourself in a professional manner, which means being well-groomed and smelling like you actually care about your work. And that’s when knowing how to pick a cologne becomes an important part of your life.

Best cologne options
The One by Dolce & Gabbana: This unusual mix may not work for the older man, but it’s spot-on for the young professional out to make a good impression.

Paul Smith Extreme Cologne: The irreverent Paul Smith has created a lighter scent for the young career man with an edge. If you’ve got a creative side that’s a little off-kilter from the typical company man, you’ve found your kindred spirit in Paul Smith’s Extreme.

The Man’s Man
Being a man is complicated existence, but these colognes give you a touchstone of what you ought to be. They are unwavering in their presence. This type of scent is a throwback, if you will, to a time when being a man’s man meant something.

Best cologne options
Yves Saint Laurent L’Homme: One may not often think of YSL as being so masculine, but L’Homme stands out as a new timeless scent for today’s complicated man.

Gucci by Gucci: If ever there was a complicated fusion of aromas, this is it. The cedar wood and patchouli base give rise to spices such as bergamot and black pepper with tobacco before revealing floral top notes. The complexity here is too much for the man in his 20s and is better suited for the gentleman in his late 30s. Someone who’s seen just how damned dangerous and conflicted the world can be and appreciates a cologne that does not hold back.

The Urbanite
Living an urban lifestyle often means being ready for anything when the phone rings, which is why you should carefully pick a cologne that allows you to go from meetings to cocktails to court-side seats without a thought. Doing so also means knowing how to pick a cologne with strong green cedar or green citrus notes that thrive against a life lived amid concrete and steel.

Best cologne options
Calvin Klein Men-Euphoria: Brazilian redwood, patchouli and amber set the stage for cedar leaves and black basil with raindrop accord serving as a light opening note. Notice the use once again of patchouli, which is quickly becoming popular as an accent base note for younger men who have not graduated to the more sublime aromas.

Hermes D’Orange Verte Cologne by Hermes: A French classic that may be the only scent to outlast them all and the perfect all-day cologne with its green and citrus blend. If you’re tired of the complex equations of modern colognes or if your day takes you from the casual to the formal in mere hours, D’Orange Verte is worth a try.

NOVEMBER 4 2008

What a great & historic day!!!!!

Good Morning Mr. President (Elect) - Mr. Barack Obama. President of the World!!

I am not American. I am Jamaican but it fills me with absolute pride & joy to be a part of this great day in history. This victory is not just America's but for the World as a whole. American politics has long infiltrated the affairs of the world & so we all celebrate. From every 'nook & cranny', we say THANKS for this great CHANGE.

The rise of an African-American as President not only gives young & upcoming generations confidence and a new outlook on American politics as it has been known for over 200 years, but it also gives a sense of liberation to Black people all over who have fought for many years for this dream to become a reality.

It gives hope to people of colour everywhere. It gives solace to realize that America is now turning it's eyes away from colour and now to progression.

Many of us thought we'd never see this day but it is now here. Our children & our childrens children will now know of an America that chose a man of colour for President.

YES WE CAN... and YES HE DID!!!!

There will finally be a Black Man in the White House!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hopefully this will set in motion, similar practices for other countries in the world whose political trends are similar to those of the America we once knew... namely the United Kingdom.

I celebrate the change but more importantly, I celebrate America's 1st Black President.

"Rosa Parks sat so that Martin Luther King could walk"
"Martin Luther King walked, so that Barack Obama could run"

"Barack Obama ran, so that Black People could fly"

BARACK OBAMA - President-Elect.

Love Me... Flaws & All

It's the norm to detest your physical attributes if they're not... sexy or flattering in some way. Your nose is too big, your legs aren't skinny enough, your nose not straight enough. But how about finding something beautiful about each part?

DISCLAIMER: I'm far from being conceited so I'm not self-praising in the least.

For me, I've never like my hands. My hands are fat & my fingers short & fat also. Not the conventional "slender-long- hands & fingers" most girls have. What had caused them to stand out so much was the fact that I used to be a really skinny chick. I'd be reluctant to shaking hands when meeting someone, always sit on em, fold my hands into fists just so no one would even as much as catch a glimpse.

I struggled with finding one, just one positive feature about them. It took a while but I'm finally there. The fear of having them seen wore off a bit eventually. I even started to make jokes about them & I started feeling a bit better. These days, I'm not as skinny so they look more proportioned:) I even won an arm-wrestling challenge recently so now I'm thankful for them. The greatest feature I've found is how strong they are. It's not a masculine strength or anything (LOL) but they do me well.

In the last couple of years, I grew to like my eyes. They're not 'full', nor are they almond shaped or even coloured, but with just the right mascara, they sure are bright:)

My nose surely ain't straight, but it's the cutest pug nose you'll find. Even though on my not-so-cute-early-mornings, it grows about two sizes.

I have the most scratches & burns on my leg especially on my shin. All from years of climbing & falling out of trees, trying to learn how to ride a bike (which I still haven't mastered) & from tripping over myself way too many times. However, I've grown to appreciate the fact that burns & scratches are character forming. They really are. Ask me about any & I'm almost sure I can give you the story behind each one.

Something I love about my physical being & have always loved is my smile. I don't have 'perfect' lips or even perfect teeth but my smile, in so many ways, epitomizes my personality.

It's a bit crooked but to the right person, can be the light that illuminates a day. LOL! (talk about not being conceited).

On a more serious note though, I personally think it's one of my better features. And while it is crooked, it's still a nice one. Just like me...

I may not be perfect but I'm happy & healthy & loving life.

"Life without liberty is like a body without spirit"

Yes, You Should Trust Your Gut

You have a natural sixth sense that can help you make better decisions, suss out a person, even save your life.

You've heard of intuition, but what you may not realize is that it's a biological survival tool. And while animals often heed this sixth sense, humans tend to let "rational" thinking override it. Intuition can guide us to make smarter, faster choices. We break down how these feelings operate and offer tips for harnessing their power.

What Intuition Is
"Gut instincts are mental shortcuts used to make a snap judgment based on experience and environment," says David Myers, PhD. Your unconscious picks up on clues below the surface of rational awareness and communicates the info to you via intuitive feelings. It's like a little covert operation in your head.
These messages are sparked by perceptual cues (e.g., people can tell when a smile is fake yet can't explain why) or by past situations. So if you get bad vibes from a coworker, on a deeper level you might be noticing patterns between her and someone else who mistreated you.

Ways to Spot a Gut Signal
An unconscious nudge often manifests physically, says Judith Orloff, MD — think a knot in your stomach or feeling the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. But how can you tell if the jittery anxiety you have before boarding a plane is a subconscious SOS or just nerves? "A gut instinct isn't accompanied by fear," notes Dr. Orloff. "It calmly advises you what to do.

"How to Intuit"
Intuition is like a muscle. It gets stronger with use. So give it a workout by following your instinct with inconsequential choices, such as whether to wear jeans or black pants. Assuming both look great on, it doesn't matter which you go for. But this exercise gets you in the habit of relying on gut reactions instead of analyzing ("I wore jeans the other day, so I guess I'll do the pants"). Eventually, listening to your inner voice will become second nature and help you out with important decisions.Having trouble tuning in to your gut? Jump-start it by making a logical decision, but before doing anything, take stock of how you feel about that conclusion. Say you're dating two guys. Pick the one who makes more sense (has a better job, etc.). If your heart sinks, you know the other guy is right. Just remember that your intuition's power depends on the breadth of your experience.

Example: While someone who cooks regularly can wing a recipe with terrific results, a less practiced chef should probably stick to the instructions (like myself)

10 Signs You're Whipped

If you've ever wondered whether or not you’re one of the many unfortunate suckers out there who've joined the ranks of the whipped (and are probably being mocked and ridiculed for it to boot), take a look at this list of top 10 signs you’re whipped; if you recognize any of them, for God’s sake, man up and do something about it. There's nothing wrong with wanting to please your woman by indulging in some of the thins she likes, but please don't lose yourself in the process.

Number 10
Going for a beer requires much prior begging & then permission

Number 9

She makes your decisions for you

Number 8
You have a joint e-mail account

Number 7
You go home when she’s ready

Number 6
You have a different social group

Number 5
She commits you to events

Number 4
You constantly worry about her reaction

Number 3
Your friends don’t even bother to call or invite you out

Number 2
What you once took for granted is now a victory

Number 1
You’re no longer interesting, funny or desirable

Trust & Betrayal

Why is it most often the case, that the persons to whom you are closest, are usually the ones who will quicker & more easily disappoint you? Could it possibly be due to the fact that these persons are the ones you 'let in' more than others...?

Whether sadly or not, most relationships thrive on TRUST. Without it, most bonds would perhaps be non-existent. It is the light that illuminates the darkness to the concerns almost always faced in relationships. But what governs when you have trusted and been deceived... been betrayed? Yeah... so, you'll probably put an end to the situation (and the person) that caused you the grief, but what of other associations?

I've always been a trusting person and perhaps, needless to say, I've been disappointed... many times. I'm sure most persons who take on a similar outlook, will or have been also. I'm a positive person & so I tend to approach situations with an open mind, almost always hoping for the best.

I've had many positive, successful outcomes hence my continued loyalty to people & to relationships. I have friends whose philosophy is to "expect the worst but hope for the best". It's a negative outlook to have on life but it seems to work for them. Unlike me, they tend to handle disappointments much better. It's as though they were mentally prepared for the worst to occur & when it did, they were fine... Disconsolate, but still perhaps happy that they didn't put too much trust in a person or a situation.

It is logical to have your guard up & to be wary of people but it can take away from a situation. Who knows? Maybe one of these days I'll fully accept & appreciate that code but for now, my belief is that "there will always be more good than bad in the world".

What have your experiences been like & what is your standard?

"I don't trust him. We're friends." - Bertolt Brecht