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Day: December 26, 2014
Stop Middle-Age Belly Fat
10 Tips for Avoiding Weight Gain in Menopause
Weight gain is harder to avoid as you age, but it’s not impossible. By making simple changes, you can dodge that spare tire that often accompanies menopause. Read on for 10 expert tips to stop middle-age belly fat…
If you’re a woman in midlife, you face more than your share of problems: hot flashes, night sweats, too many responsibilities and too little time. But perhaps none is more dreaded than the sudden appearance of that midlife muffin top.
A belly bulge is common around menopause, explains Nanette Santoro, M.D., chairwoman of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Colorado at Denver and a spokeswoman for the Endocrine Society. But it has as much to do with aging as with menopausal changes, she says.
“Decreases in growth hormone, increases in insulin resistance and reduced physical activity all contribute to the tendency to gain weight and fat,” she notes.
Metabolism tends to slow with age, reducing the body’s ability to burn calories, adds Margery Gass, M.D., executive director of the North American Menopause Society.
While the loss of estrogen may not be responsible for all those added pounds, it can affect where they end up.
“There has long been an association between menopause and accumulation of more belly fat,” Dr. Santoro says.
“Studies in women have demonstrated an increase in waist circumference and abdominal fat associated with the final menstrual period,” adds Deborah Rhodes, M.D., associate professor of the Department of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
“What women perceive as weight gain due to menopause may more accurately be described as fat accumulation around their middles,” she says.
Fortunately, midlife weight gain and menopausal belly fat aren’t inevitable. By following some basic weight-management tools – along with advice designed to reduce abdominal fat – you can prevent, or at least minimize, that spare tire.
These 10 tips will get you there…
1. Change your diet.
Your caloric needs decrease as you age, so watching what you eat is more important than ever.
By reducing calorie intake and exercising regularly, healthy women prevented both weight gain and increased waist size from perimenopause to post-menopause, according to the best-known research, a 2003 study by the Women’s Healthy Lifestyle Project published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine.
What you can do: Ask your doctor how many calories is healthy for you, based on your age, size and activity level. (Get a general idea with Lifescript’s Total Health Calculator.)
Then pay attention to portion sizes; it’s too easy to overeat when you start with a giant plateful of food, says registered dietitian and exercise physiologist Samantha Heller, nutrition coordinator for the Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital in Derby, Conn.
Base your meals on lean proteins (such as fish and chicken), complex carbohydrates (like vegetables, fruits and whole grains) and healthful fats (olive oil), she says.
2. Don’t be fat-phobic.
Your body needs fat for energy and to absorb certain nutrients – such as vitamins A, D and E. Because it’s filling and digested relatively slowly, fat also keeps you satisfied longer, Heller says.
What you can do: Eat more of the “good” fats – those that are liquid at room temperature, like olive and nut oils, and foods like avocados, nuts and olives.
“They’re essential for optimal immunity and brain, heart, artery and skin health,” Heller says.
These also can help keep your weight steady. For example, eating a handful of nuts every day is associated with lower weight gain over time, according to a 2014 study from the Harvard School of Public Health, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. That may be because they’re filling and lead people to eat less of other foods, the researchers found.
Replacing saturated fat, such as those in meats and dairy, with unsaturated fats from vegetables and fish may reduce or decrease your body’s storage of belly fat, according to a 2014 Swedish study published in Diabetes.
One caveat about fats: “Watch your portions,” Heller warns.
Adults over 50 should get 20%-35% of their daily calories from fat, according to the Institute of Medicine (IOM). But that can add up fast. A gram of fat has 9 calories, while carbs and protein have 4 and a tablespoon of oil has about 119 calories, Heller notes.
3. Focus on fiber.
“Fiber is important for weight management, as well as gut health and digestion,” says Virginia-based registered dietitian and nutrition consultant Danielle Omar, author of Skinny Juices (Da Capo Lifelong Books).
That’s because foods with fiber are digested more slowly, so you stay full longer. Fiber-rich meals are likely to be lower in calories, fats and added sugars, according to a 2002 University of Minnesota study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
The IOM recommends 21 grams of fiber per day for women over 50, but most Americans consume less than half of that, Heller says.
What you can do: To get enough fiber, eat vegetables, fruits (not juice) and whole grains. Middle-aged adults who ate more whole grains, and fewer refined grains like white bread, had a lower body mass index (BMI) – which measures weight versus height – and tended to gain significantly less weight over time, according to a 2009 Tufts University study published in the Journal of Nutrition.
4. Eat plenty of protein.
Protein helps keep your blood sugar steady, which reduces food cravings. And your body burns more calories digesting it than it does for fat or carbohydrates, Omar says.Consuming more protein frequently throughout the day also helps reduce abdominal fat, according to a 2013 study by Skidmore College in New York.What you can do: Eat protein at every meal, including breakfast.
Protein helps keep your blood sugar steady, which reduces food cravings. And your body burns more calories digesting it than it does for fat or carbohydrates, Omar says.Consuming more protein frequently throughout the day also helps reduce abdominal fat, according to a 2013 study by Skidmore College in New York.What you can do: Eat protein at every meal, including breakfast.
Women over 50 should eat about 5 to 6-1/2 ounces of protein-rich foods, such as meats and poultry, fish, tofu and low-fat dairy, at every meal, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). One egg or 1/4 cup of beans equals 1 ounce of meat.
5. Boost the burn.
Since metabolism slows in midlife, consume foods and beverages that can rev it up, Omar suggests.
What you can do: Drink green tea, which has been shown to boost metabolism for a couple of hours, due to the combination of caffeine and chemicals known as catechins, Omar says.
It may also reduce fat absorption, according to a 2011 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition.
Spicing up foods with cayenne pepper also works. That’s because it contains the chemical capsaicin, which increases metabolism and helps the body burn fat more efficiently, according to a 2009 University of Maryland study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Other “hot” spices – chili peppers, curry powder and cinnamon – may boost your body’s fat-burning power while adding flavor to food with few extra calories, Omar says.
6. Set aside the sugar.
Sugar-drenched foods, such as soda and sweets, quickly elevate blood sugar levels, causing your body to release more insulin, Omar says. And that signals your body to store more fat, especially in the belly.
People who regularly drink sugar-sweetened beverages – the largest source of added sugar in the U.S. diet – have more belly fat than people who avoid them, according to a 2014 study published in the Journal of Nutrition.
But sweet foods aren’t the only problem – about 30% of added sugars don’t come from soda, fruit drinks or desserts, according to a 2014 University of Washington study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
You’ll find sugar in salad dressings, ketchup, flavored yogurts, dried fruits, sauces and marinades, notes registered dietitian Bonnie Taub-Dix, author of Read It Before You Eat It (Penguin Group).
What you can do: Drink water and other unsweetened beverages. If you can’t resist soda, switching to diet can help reduce body fat, finds a 2014 University of Colorado study published in the journal Obesity.
Read packaged-food nutrition labels to determine the amount of sugar in each serving, and scan ingredient lists for terms such as sucrose, fructose, dextrose, corn syrup or evaporated cane juice, Taub-Dix says.
“Label reading is your best defense against hidden sugars in the diet,” Omar adds.
7. Don’t skimp on sleep.
Years of research have shown that too little sleep is associated with being overweight, according to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). Too little shut-eye slows metabolism. It also increases levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin, which can increase food cravings, and decreases levels of leptin, which helps you feel satiated, according to a 2010 University of Chicago study.
That’s big problem because poor sleep is a common complaint among women in perimenopause and early menopause, who may have hot flashes and night sweats.
They also often complain that their weight gets out of control, Dr. Santoro says.
What you can do: Getting just one more hour of sleep per night reduces belly fat accumulation, according to a 2014 Canadian study published in Obesity.
So start by practicing good sleep hygiene, the NSF recommends:
- Don’t consume caffeine late in the day .
- Don’t eat or exercise too close to bedtime.
- Establish a relaxing bedtime routine, for example, take a bath.
- Sleep in a cool, dark, quiet room.
If symptoms of menopause are impairing your sleep, don’t assume you have to live with the situation: Talk to your doctor about what you can do to get more zzz’s.
8. Keep stress in check.
Family and work responsibilities can make midlife a stressful time. And that can lead to unhealthful eating, Dr. Santoro says.“Studies show that in certain stress states, we choose salt-, sugar- and fat-laden foods,” she explains.Meanwhile, elevated levels of the hormone cortisol, which increases with stress, shift fat accumulation to the belly.
Family and work responsibilities can make midlife a stressful time. And that can lead to unhealthful eating, Dr. Santoro says.“Studies show that in certain stress states, we choose salt-, sugar- and fat-laden foods,” she explains.Meanwhile, elevated levels of the hormone cortisol, which increases with stress, shift fat accumulation to the belly.
Postmenopausal women with higher levels of cortisol also had more visceral fat, according to a 2011 University of California, San Francisco study published in the Journal of Obesity.
What you can do: No matter how frenetic your life is, stress-reduction techniques can help, Dr. Rhodes says.
Try meditation, deep breathing or yoga. Or just set aside a time to relax with some soft music or a good book.
Want to learn more? Read about yoga and menopause.
9. Get active.
Regular exercise burns fat, and may help reduce belly fat in particular, says aging and fitness specialist Joan Pagano, author of Strength Training Exercises for Women (DK Adult). And because exercise improves your physical conditioning, the more you do, the more active you can be.
What you can do: The American College of Sports Medicine recommends getting at least 150 minutes of cardiovascular activity per week. It could be anything that raises your heart rate, from brisk walking to a family soccer game.
If you’re up to it, try high-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE), in which you alternate all-out sprints with lower-intensity rest periods. That may be more effective at reducing belly fat than other types of exercise, according to a 2011 Australian study published in the Journal of Obesity.
Talk to your doctor before starting any exercise program. Then begin slowly and gradually increase your level of exertion.
10. Build strength.
Muscle mass can diminish by as much as 3%-8% each decade after age 30, according to the NIH – a condition known as age-related sarcopenia. But strength training can help prevent this, or build even stronger muscles than before.
And because muscle burns more calories than fat, that means you’re less likely to gain weight, the Mayo Clinic says.
What you can do: “It’s never too late to start strength training – and the earlier you begin the longer you benefit,” Pagano says.
She recommends doing two to three strength-training workouts each week. You can do them at home or in a gym, using weights, exercise bands or your own body weight.
If you’re unfamiliar with resistance training, take lessons or get help from a personal trainer to help prevent injury.
To learn more, visit Lifescript’s Menopause Health Center and Diet & Fitness Channel.
Success At Any Level Requires One Thing
By Jennifer Wilkes
MAKE YOUR IDEAS HAPPEN. You can want for the rest of your life, but that does not mean you will actually get what it is you are wanting for. You must follow through if you expect to experience the manifestation of your vision and goals. Crossing your fingers and betting on luck will keep you begging and surrendering your freedom to someone else. It is time for you to take control and drive.
How many times have you started a project, like cleaning your closet, then you stop and never really finish? That is a sure sign of your level of commitment. When you choose to commit or not, you are communicating with yourself on what you value to be most important. The universe and your mind hear you and obey.
When you communicate that you are focused on a decision and that you are serious about it, life will take your choice into consideration and follow through on your behalf; reciprocation or the Law of Attraction. Whatever you allow yourself to be preoccupied with is what you will attract more of.
Are you going to spend your life wanting success or are you going to follow through on being successful?
The difference between those who are successful and those who are not has nothing to do with the number of opportunities available to one or the other. The difference is that those who are successful prepare, so that when the opportunity presents itself they are ready. And how do successful people prepare? They follow through. Those who really accomplish their goals and elevate to higher levels in life, see their vision through until the end. They set high standards for their own personal success.
Yes, it can seem easy to achieve many things when things are going well. But, what happens when times are tough and there are still tasks that need to be done? Do you give up and push your goals to the side until it is time for the next New Year’s resolutions? I recommend that you don’t. It is equally important to follow through when things are not going as you expected. It does not mean you have to continue going in the same direction, but use those moments as the opportunity to make clear choices about your life, your business, and your relationships. This may involve creating healthy space away from certain people so that you can stay focused on achieving your goals.
Like everything else in life, following through on your purpose depends on the choices you make. If you want to figure out whether or not you’re making the best choices for your purpose, consider the following:
- How will this choice affect me?
- If I choose X, Y will happen. Is this what I really want to happen?
- Is this choice in alignment with my purpose and what I want to achieve?
Whatever commitment you make, see it through. Follow through on what you say you are going to do, especially when it comes to keeping promises to yourself.
Now do not confuse it. Following through is not the same as being busy. Many of us are busy, but we are not being proactive or productive. And there is no point in being busy, if you are busy doing nothing. Anything that takes up your time should contribute to your purpose, passions and your vision to help others. That is what really keeps your momentum going. And that is what gives you a strong foundation for success.
– See more at: http://www.blacklifecoaches.net/2014/12/23/success-any-level/#sthash.iUCiZpVr.dpuf
Chemist being ridiculed led to amazing invention
Chemist being ridiculed for dark skin led to amazing invention
Eunice Cofie says that she grew up with low self-esteem, much of it due to bullying. She was made fun of for a reason that should shame us all: Her dark skin. This beautiful young woman admits that she was made to feel that she was less-than, and that growing up was difficult.
Thanks to a strong father figure who wanted his daughter to overcome these psychological hurdles, Eunice was inspired to invent a set of beauty supplies for women with rich skin like her own. This led to the creation of NUEKIE, her cosmetics company.
Eunice’s story is a great one for Financial Juneteenth, because she shows how we can turn a negative into a positive. She says that her father got her into programs at an early age that allowed her to develop as an inventor, finding her passion and purpose in life. Additionally, she not only overcame the psychological damage of her bullying, she was able to show just how beautiful dark skin is when it is not viewed through the distorted and confused lense of white supremacy.
Watch her video below, it will amaze you.
Financial Juneteenth lessons from this story:
1) Good role models are important for the self-esteem of our children. Eunice’s father was an important part of her development, so we can never underemphasize the importance of a strong male role model.
2) Talents should be developed early in our children. Black people are very good at finding early talent in sports and entertainment, but we should be equally diligent in scouting talents in science, writing, business, etc. The programs that Eunice entered at an early age were an important part of her development.
3) The spirit of entrepreneurship must also be developed in the black community, even among those of us who are well-educated. Yes, Eunice could be sitting around waiting for someone to give her a job, but she has instead created her own job. There are a lot of highly-educated African Americans who can’t find employment right now. Going to school doesn’t always make you economically secure. In fact, it might even create a false sense of security.
The video is here, enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Uyss_BoQghY
http://financialjuneteenth.com/chemist-being-ridiculed-for-dark-skin-led-to-amazing-invention/
Tech Breakthroughs We Can’t Wait to See
Tech Breakthroughs We Can’t Wait to See
While there are plenty of technological developments we’d rather skip, there are some breakthroughs we’re dying to see. Some are already here, in limited or experimental form. Others will take a bit longer. All should prove to be a net-benefit to society.
Something, Anything to Replace Passwords
While we’re leery about swalling a Google Pill to beam log-in credentials to devices from our bellies, the tech sector desperately needs to find a replacement for the password system. Hack after hack has laid bare the stark fact that a string of numbers, letters and symbols are simply no match for cyber miscreants and no way to secure our digital lives. Some alternatives, such as biometric identifiers, are in the works. They can’t come soon enough.
Driverless Cars
Safer roads, the ability to drink and (not) drive, faster commutes — what’s not to love? We suspect (and hope) that by the next generation, the notion of manually controlling a car will be relegated to the same niche that horse back riding is today — a form of entertainment and sport, not a mode of serious transportation.
Gigabit Internet
Do you feel the need for speed? We do. With speeds of 1,000Mbs for both uploads and downloads, our online life would fly if we were all fortunate enough to have access to Gigabit internet. The immediate benefits would include glitch and buffer-free online gaming, video streaming and video conferencing. Movie and music downloads would take seconds. But wait, there’s more. Gigatank (funded by the city of Chattanooga) is exploring new frontiers enabled by blazing data connections, including virtual doctor’s visits, “cloud” tables for retail locations, and a new breed of public safety vehicles with enhanced communication equipment.
A Means to Profit from Our Data
It’s widely understood that there is an explicit trade-off when you use social networks like Facebook: you trade your personal data in exchange for free Facebook. Profiting off of the use of personal data isn’t a bad thing, provided it’s done voluntarily, but what is unfortunate is that the actual sources of that profitable data (you and me) don’t have the option to monetize it as easily.As Meghan Neal writes, that is starting to change. One enterprising individual put himself and his personal data on Kickstarter to see how much someone would pay for it. The computer scientist Jaron Lanier envisions a world where we receive a steady stream of income from Google and Facebook (and even the NSA), whenever our personal data is tapped (in this world, Google and Facebook also cease being free). Whatever the mechanism, if data truly is the oil of the information age, there’s no reason why all of us can’t profit from our own little wells.
Robot Maids
While America’s defense contractors are busying themselves building the next Terminator, beleagured house wifes and house husbands around the country are eagerly awaiting a robotic servant. Today, the closest thing we have is the Roomba robotic vacuum. While engineers are indeed working on robot maids, they can’t come soon enough. Robotic lawnmowers would also be nice.
All Day Batteries for Smartphones
Apple’s refresh of its Macbook Air notebook with Intel’s new Haswell chip has delivered some startling battery life numbers: up to 12 hours of use on a single charge. By contrast, the iPhone gets half that — at best. It’s a well known problem that smartphones are battery hogs and while there are accessory battery packs available that can give you some added juice, they add bulk and expense. What’s needed is a battery breakthrough that can deliver Haswell-like performance for smartphones.
Paintable Solar Cells
While the price of solar power continues to decline, solar panels themselves are still cumbersome. Researchers at MIT, however, are advancing a technology that would enable solar cells to be painted onto any surface. While the present paintable solar cells are very inefficient relative to conventional solar cells, the prospect of paintable solar means they can be used more aggressively on buildings, cars, planes or basically anything else that could benefit from generating solar power.
http://www.realcleartechnology.com/lists/tech-products-we-want/breakthroughs.html?state=stop
Best Utensil To Fast Track Your Weight Loss
Best Utensil To Fast Track Your Weight Loss
Your most powerful weapon against the battle of the bulge may not be an eating utensil but a writing one! Watching what you eat starts long before food ever hits your fork or spoon by knowing what, why, when and how you eat.
Like, how you REALLY eat and not just the healthy habits you’re kinda sorta thinking about doing…most of the time. One of the best ways to know what’s really good with your health and eating habits is to write everything down.
According to a study conducted by Dr. Gail Matthews, a Psychology professor at Dominican University of California, people who wrote down their goals, shared them with a friend and maintained accountability were 33% more successful reaching their goals than those who just formulated goals.
In her book Write It Down, Make It Happen, author Henriette Anne Klauser says, “Once you write down a goal, your brain will be working overtime to see you get it…”.
If your goal is to get serious about your health and weight loss, here are three ways to use the power of the pen to help speed you to victory.
1. Keep a food journal.
The method is simple: If you eat it, WRITE IT. Make your food diary as basic as a tiny memo pad or as fancy as hardcover journal; whatever is convenient (because you’ll want to keep it on you at all times) and inspires you to keep writing. Track your daily meals and snacks, times of day and even how your food choices made you feel. Be accountable to yourself. The few minutes it takes to jot things down can actually double your weight-loss success.2. Use a calendar to track temptation.
When you look at your daily planner, you may just see some birthday parties, holidays or a vacation. What I see? All opportunities for “falling off” and assorted food temptations. If an important event or holiday is coming up, or even a simple night out with friends, write it down and plan accordingly. Decide what you will eat beforehand (most restaurants have menus online) and stick to your nonnegotiables.3. Acknowledge your success.
Who doesn’t love a thoughtful note of thanks or appreciation?! Give yourself credit for making progress toward your weight loss goals. Research shows that people who BELIEVE they’ll be successful at losing weight really are more successful at losing weight. Building this type of belief comes from acknowledging your success along the journey, not just when you reach your destination. Make time to write down how you’ve been successful – pounds lost, inches lost, resisting that dessert you wanted and any short-term goals you’ve reached.There’s no one right way to lose weight quickly, but adding the “write way” to your fitness mix will only help.
President Obama’s Best 2014 Moments
If the end of 2014 was any indication, we may be finding out that this supposedly lame-duck president has no intention of going gently into that good night.
This is by no means an exhaustive list. And I’m not suggesting that there’s consensus about the positives and negatives of President Barack Obama’s various initiatives—although I’m guessing that folks on both sides of the aisle were tickled by his exchange in October with that overzealous boyfriend in the Chicago voting station—but here are a few notable moments from the president’s past year that pleased a lot of people.
1. The Reconciliation With Cuba
On Wednesday Obama announced restoration of “full diplomatic relations” with Cuba, a plan that includes opening a U.S. Embassy in Havana, easing restrictions on financial transactions such as remittances and banking, and encouraging Congress to start a legitimate conversation about lifting the embargo against Cuba, since that would require congressional action.
When asked to explain his decision, the president stressed that the status quo had not worked over the past 50 years, and it was that realization that inspired him to seek a change. That approach—when something isn’t working, try something else—made sense even to some of the president’s political adversaries.
2. Support for #BringBackOurGirls and Fighting the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa
Obama understood that a crisis for one country could reach the doorstep of the United States in no time. In May he sent about 80 military personnel to West Africa to help Nigerian officials in the search for the nearly 300 schoolgirls who were abducted by the Islamist group Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria.
And in September the United States spent more than $100 million to help curb the spread of Ebola in three West African countries.
3. Addressing African Americans’ Distrust of Law Enforcement
When the nation learned that a Ferguson, Mo., grand jury would not indict Police Officer Darren Wilson for fatally shooting unarmed teenager Michael Brown, Obama spoke from the White House minutes later to reassure Americans who were angered by the outcome.
Not everyone agreed with Obama’s approach. There will always be a school of thought that he should be more demonstrative when expressing his frustration about the racial biases that exist in many U.S. institutions, including law enforcement. But as the Rev. Al Sharpton said a few months ago, President Bill Clinton didn’t say a word about the police killing of Amadou Diallo or the brutal sexual assault of Abner Louima by police, both of which happened on his watch.
That Obama spoke about Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Eric Garner, and also launched My Brother’s Keeper to support young black and Hispanic men, is considerably more than his predecessors have done. He has also tasked the Justice Department with investigating, with a view to remedying, the targeting of African-American and Latino communities by police departments.
4. A Historic Nomination
If confirmed by the Senate, Loretta Lynch will become the first African-American woman to serve as attorney general. The president nominated Lynch for the position in November.
5. Funny POTUS
Everyone loves a good laugh, right? And Obama scored major comedy points in October when he told passerby Mike Jones that he had not, in fact, been checking out Jones’ girlfriend, Aia Cooper, while voting at a Chicago precinct.
“Mr. President, please don’t touch my girlfriend,” Jones had jokingly told Obama, since the president was voting at a booth next to Cooper’s.
“I really wasn’t planning on it,” Obama deadpanned in reply.
It makes you wonder whether the president has a secret handle we don’t know about, since his response perfectly embodied the wit of black Twitter.
6. Immigration
In November Obama announced a series of executive actions to grant or extend deportation relief for approximately 5 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. Observers say there was a clear commitment to keep families intact by granting relief to the undocumented parents of U.S. citizens and green card holders. Obama also maintained support and deportation relief for undocumented immigrants who have been living, working and attending school here since they were little.
The executive actions will also “allow high-skilled workers to move or change jobs more easily, and streamline visa and court procedures,” a New York Times report explains.
Here’s to hoping Obama is feeling just as ambitious in 2015.
Diana Ozemebhoya Eromosele is a staff writer at The Root and the founder and executive producer of Lectures to Beats, a Web series that features video interviews with scarily insightful people. Follow Lectures to Beats on Facebook and Twitter.
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http://www.theroot.com/articles/politics/2014/12/obama_s_best_moments_in_2014.1.html
11 Signs Your Hood Is Being Gentrified
A Washington, D.C., resident describes the changes and privilege that have moved into her longtime neighborhood.
In Washington, D.C., as in many cities undergoing extreme urban makeovers, if you miss a week of moving about in certain neighborhoods, you’ll miss a whole heck of a lot. Sad times for you if you’re a landmark driver like I am, when even a short trip on familiar streets can induce a fog of confusion. Buildings go down and buildings go up on blocks so quickly, you can be a whole mile out of your way before you realize you’ve been waiting to hook a left at a corner store that is no more.
Besides creating in me a deep regret for not going to college to enjoy what seems like an inevitably profitable career in real estate development, gentrification has impressed me with its swiftness. I don’t pretend or profess to understand the complete politics of it—I’m certain that money is the bottom line and power is the impetus—but I know the bastions of urban-conquer waste no time claiming an area as “up and coming” and then following that up with epic levels of condo-and-coffeehouse building.
What that essentially means: The people already living there are fittin’ to be economically priced out and residentially pushed out. That I’ve learned. In the meantime, there’s a shift to accommodate the newcomers, rarely an effort by the newcomers to adjust to the existing dynamic of a community. The boundless, ceaseless imagination of privilege does it again and again.
Georgia Avenue, the stretch of street that hugs the campus of Howard University, used to be quintessential D.C., full of contagious energy and all-black everything: barbershops and beauty salons, mom-and-pop stores, insurance agencies, restaurants. But you know how it goes: Powers discover that an area is gold, see its potential, put it in their construction crosshairs and start plucking off anything, one by one, that doesn’t fit into the blueprint for their new, improved iteration.
Anyone resilient or fortunate enough to remain needs to adjust in order to survive. Such is the case of Fish in the ’Hood, a beloved institution for college students and local lovers of soulful dining that, in 2012, was christened with a new storefront sign indicative of the changing surroundings: Fish in the Neighborhood. A new name on a 15-year-old restaurant is telltale, but there are more indicators that change is gonna come:
1. Neighborhood boundary lines will be strategically reconfigured, and your new redistricted area will be outfitted with catchy, cutesy names.
2. Lighting will crop up. Y’all lived for years in near-apocalyptic darkness as existing street lights went long malfunctioning. Now the block is lit up like a night game at FedExField. Magical.
3. “Liquor stores” will be euphemistically renamed “wine and spirits shops.”
4. Cops will dutifully patrol your neighborhood in nonemergency situations. On foot, bike and vehicle patrols, sometimes even horses. No one has to call them. They’re already there.
5. You find out that the way you’ve been living is no longer “current.”
6. You get a store that stays open 24 hours. Up until now, you had to scream your pump number and request for soda and sunflower seeds through three layers of Plexiglas at the neighborhood gas station. Now doors are allowed to stay open 24-7.
7. These show up, along with allocated lanes to ride them in the streets. It’s always a sign when people trust the community to borrow stuff and bring it back. (See also: Zipcar.)
8. Your block is equipped with speed bumps. Amazingly, they are much more effective than your disapproving scowl in slowing drivers down.
9. Parking starts getting real exclusive, and you’ll be needing an advanced degree in urban planning to understand when and where you can do it. Also, violations will become more expensive and more frequent.
10. Wal-Mart will come calling.
11. White people will show up. At first a pioneering few will forage the land, and once the signal goes up, that trickle will become a full-on influx. I have seen folks who would have taken terror steps through my neighborhood just a few months ago now frolicking in it. At night.
Dressed up in prettier terms like “redevelopment” and “renewal,” gentrification moves with the swiftness of a swarm of locusts and the ferocity of a band of gangsters. It comes with community upgrades that, in many cases, are long overdue. Not that they’re not good things. It’s just that they come at the expense of people who aren’t intended to enjoy them.
Viacom, ‘CrazySexyCool’ Writer Want Pebbles’ Lawsuit Thrown Out
*The screenwriter, Kate Lainer, of “CrazySexyCool” is asking for TLC‘s ex-manager Pebbles‘ $40 million lawsuit to be thrown out, due to the truth she took advantage of R&B’s biggest girl group.
Pebbles sued Viacom shortly after the 2013 film premiered on VH1 — becoming a hit. she claimed the film defamed her through its portrayal, according to the Jasmine Brand.
She clearly has issues with the way TLC sees her and made her out to be. In court documents, she said the film portrayed her “as a conniving and dishonest business woman who hoodwinked three innocent girls and exploited their talent for her own personal gain.”
The former manager said she never controlled the group’s lawyer. Also, Pebbles claimed to have paid the ladies appropriately.
According to Lainer (and TLC as well), Pebbles didn’t pay the ladies what they were owed on their deals. Also, she claimed the ex-manager is lying about not having a relationship with the group’s lawyers.
In the docs, the writer went on to say she didn’t write the character in any inaccurate way. Regardless, her work is protected through the first amendment.
Nevertheless, Viacom stands by its portrayal of Pebbles — claiming to not act with malice while filming her character. Lainer and Viacom want the lawsuit to be dismissed.
View the court documents here.
Read more at http://www.eurweb.com/2014/12/viacom-crazysexycool-writer-want-pebbles-lawsuit-thrown-out/#oRePKtJTa7do7BvQ.99
Kevin Hart Got $2 Million to Promote Two Films on Social Media: Sony Email Hack
Kevin Hart’s use of social media is obviously paying off in a big way for him, according to a newly leaked email from Sony.
Bossip cites an email posted to BikiniRobotArmy regarding Sony producer Clint Culpepper. In the message, Culpepper alludes to Hart earning $2 million for tweeting about two movies. The reference came as Culpepper responded to an inquiry regarding whether or not Hart might send out a tweet promoting the Denzel Washington film “The Equalizer.”
Here’s what Culpepper said:
‘Yep. He owes us. I also got him to tweet on NGD. We paid him an extra 2M to tweet on 2 pictures. Let me [see] what I can do. What would you have him tweet? A :15 spot saying check it out and I can’t wait to see this? Or “how excited am I to see Equalizer this weekend?”‘
The mention of NGD in Culpepper’s response seems to be a reference to the Idris Elba film “No Good Deed.” In September, Hart promoted the film with a tweet sent out to his 14.8 million Twitter followers
“Make sure you go support my Brother @willpowerpacker this weekend by seeing “No Good Deed” …. @TherealTaraji & Idris kill this movie!” the funnyman wrote on September 12.
The latest email leak isn’t the first time Culpepper has shared his thoughts on Hart. In another leaked email, the studio executive called Hart a ‘whore’ after members of his team requested more money for him for using social media to promote one of his upcoming films.
In light of everything that has come out, does Hart see himself working with Sony again in the future. As it stands now, Sony plans on releasing Hart’s next two films, “The Wedding Ringer” and “Get Hard.”
“I don’t answer those questions,” Hart told TMZ Monday night while mentioning that he is “politically correct” and “a happy guy.”
The Breakroom 
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