Hello July! Part I

Summer Reading

"The Arrangements," by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.  

Recently, The New York Times commissioned authors to write fiction inspired by the election.  The first story, "The Arrangements," is an intimate portrait of the Trump family.  On the surface, it is about Melania Trump's effort to plan an anniversary dinner for her parents.  On a deeper level, it describes the different types of female power operating within Trump's inner-circle.   "The Arrangements" is deceptively easy to read, but the questions it poses will stay with you.

Read it here.

The New York Times

Summer Make-Up: 

Nars Velvet Matte Skin Tint and Laura Mercier Translucent Pressed Setting Powder.  

I walked into Bluemercury the first day returning to work after Winter Break thinking that a new lipstick would lift my spirits.  Not surprisingly, I ended up returning to school with a  new foundation and powder, in addition to the lipstick, tucked into my bag.  It's funny how that happens . . . Anyway,  when RM picked me up from school that day he said "wow, your skin looks great; you're glowing." I felt like I was in an informercial!  The fact that he noticed a difference in my skin was notable, considering the fact that he hadn't noticed that my hair was a weave until I told him three or four months into dating . . .well, maybe he did notice and was just being polite.  Either way, both the man and the make-up are keepers!

The Nars Velvet Matte Skin Tint (my shade is Cuzco) blurs my pores and gives me light to medium coverage, which is perfect for summer.  I also love that it has an SPF of 30 since I am not at all religious about using sunscreen.  Best of all, immediately after I started using it, the redness and irritation I was having along my cheekbones cleared up.  It claims to be mattifying, but I use the Laura Mercier Pressed Setting Powder to tone down shine throughout the day.  Be warned: the powder is white.  It works well for me, especially around midday when grease is sliding off my face and I don't want to layer on more color.  Coincidently, Mikita uses the same powder and thinks that it makes her look slightly chalky.   She uses a finishing spray to give her a dewy look.  

Summer Listening:

Serial Season 2.

Summer brain drain can happen to teachers too; there are only so many Instagram posts one can scroll through over the course of the day before feeling stupid.  Luckily, I discovered the second season of Serial, which focuses on Bowe Bergdahl, the American solider who deserted his post and was captured by the Taliban.  Bergdahl was held in captivity for nearly five years and then labeled a traitor when he was released in exchange for 5 members of the Taliban held at Guantamo Bay.   Bergdahl claimed that his plan was to walk off into the desert of Afghanistan in order to bring attention to the lack of leadership in the army, but why did he really leave his post?  Should Bergdahl even have been accepted into the army in the first place when he had previously been "separated" from The Coast Guard?  Was he a Taliban sympathizer? Was he mentally ill? Bowe's story is interesting, as is the larger discussion of the failure of the war in Afghanistan.  

Things I Like: Spring Edition

American Crime Story: The People v. OJ -  The People v. OJ Simpson is my new not-so-guilty pleasure.  Forget Cuba Gooding Jr.- he doesn't play O.J. with nearly enough charisma, intelligence, or physical presence to be interesting.  OJ was a narcissist and a psychopath but he wasn't dumb (and yes, he did it).  

The People v. OJ Simpson is less about OJ than it is about the lawyers on both sides of the case.  The star of the show is Courtney B. Vance as Johnny Cochran.  Vance's Cochran is the king of "nice/nasty," and  every time he uses the word "brother" it has a different connotation. 

The scene where Cochran faces off against Christopher Darden in court over the N-word had me yelling at the television.  Cochran's interactions with Marcia Clark betray his sexist and classist tendencies, but they are fun to watch.  The People v. OJ Simpson is over the top, campy, and thought provoking at the same time.  

Ruby, by Cynthia Bond - I'm always curious when writers are compared to Toni Morrison.  It's as if literary critics are looking for Morrison's successor before she's even passed away.  Nevertheless, Ruby is a great novel filled with vivid imagery, symbolism, and descriptive language.  Case in point: "The man was patient-like he'd learned sweets after spinach early in life."

Banana Coconut Porridge @ Solomon and Kuff - After a week of semi-successfully attempting a no carb diet, I saw this dish listed on the menu of Solomon and Kuff and dreamed about it for days.  A girl cannot live on veggie omelets alone, so I convinced James and Kyle to come Sunday Brunch with me to sample it. The service at Solomon and Kuff was abysmal, but the food and drinks were great, and the porridge did not disappoint.

JUDYTHEFOODIE - When my cheat day turns into a cheat week, I look at my friend Judy's Instagram @judythefoodie for inspiration.  Her motto is "eat the rainbow," and her meals are primarily home-cooked and filled with protein, vegetables, and healthy carbs.  

Nars Audacious Lipstick in Anita - I was a loyal MAC customer until Nicole turned me onto Nars lipsticks and I haven't turned back since.  I'm always on the lookout for a good neutral lipstick, and this one is the perfect combination of pink and brown.  The formula is moisturizing and long-lasting. Happy Spring!

Things I'm looking forward to this season: Seeing Eclipse on Broadway, visiting The French Manor Inn and Spa, and seeing the Cherry Blossoms at The Brooklyn Botanic Gardens.

Short and Sweet: Roberto's Review of Lolo's Seafood Shack

I recently dined at Lolo's seafood shack in Harlem. I learned of the restaurant through a website I browse from time to time (www.idontdoclubs.com.)   I decided to take a trip with Candace.  As you step inside Lolo's you quickly notice how small it is, but the decor is nice and they have outdoor seating.  I was happy with the service and the person taking orders suggested The Crispy Shark Sandwich ($11.) I enjoyed every inch of it. My only criticism about  Lolo's would be the food is over priced.  Eleven dollars is a lot for a fish sandwich without anything included. Candace loved her Crab Cake Sandwich with bacon and we both promised to return again.

This is Why They're Mad :)

A Return to the Bad Old Days

By Roberta Cardwell

At almost 70, I think I would attend a protest at a Trump rally.  The white people who support Trump are angry, they want to make America white again.  Black folks have been angry for 400 years.   Having grown up in segregation, I am not interested in going back to the time when these people thought America was so great.

When I came to New York in 1970, I, like many who preceded me in the Great Migration, thought I was coming to America’s greatest city where things would, of course, be better.  They were and they weren’t.  I could eat in any restaurant, but I remember how upset and angry I was when I realized all the black folks were seated together in the back next to the kitchen.  I could shop in any department store and actually try on clothes, but someone still followed me around expecting that I would steal.  I was mistaken for a prostitute when I was out at night trying to catch a cab.  And forget trying to get a cab to go Uptown. (Or, when I cab finally pulls up in front of us, some white women running and jumping in it.  Remember that Candace?)  So, no, I don’t want to return to those times or the times before when things were even worse for black folks.

I can understand why these Trump supporters are so upset.  They see a browning of America, a time when they may no longer be the dominant culture.  Beyonce and Bruno Mars headline The Superbowl.  Kanye.  Adele singing rap. We even have a black President!! A man who is calm, but not ashamed of showing emotion, smart and articulate (a Republican candidate recently criticized him for using complex sentences). And a beautiful, classy, well-educated First Lady, probably the best I have ever seen...and I liked Laura Bush.  

These Trump supporters find themselves stuck in stagnant, low paying jobs with little hope of advancement or pay increases.  They can’t afford to buy a house. Their communities are being racked with heroin addiction (which for them it is a health problem, not a crime problem and for whom someone recently proposed providing with clean, safe places in which to shoot up). Record numbers are killing themselves from alcoholism and drug abuse.  Their life expectancy, as a result, is going down.  For many black people this is the life they know.   Trump supporters don’t want to be down there with us;  they want to remain better than us.  So they are angry and scared..

So am I.