As a former journalist, it's tough for me to watch the newspaper and magazine industries go up in flames. Today Vibe, one of the country's last urban music and entertainment publications, became more kindling on the fire. The magazine announced it is closing its doors, a move which we're told was a surprise to some Vibe staffers. More information here.
Vibe was started in 1992 by Quincy Jones, who later sold the magazine. Since then, many talented writers and editors have passed through its doors. We wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see several of the latest staff members doing big things in the near future.
The photo in the top left corner shows Vibe's premier issue, featuring Treach of Naughty by Nature.
Vibe Magazine: It's a Wrap
Michael Jackson Tributes Via The Web
Stars have been paying homage to music icon Michael Jackson since his sudden death last week. Thanks to the internet, people around the world are seeing those tributes are turning them viral. And some of them are really very heartwarming. We thought we'd forgo our usual weekly activities to show you just a sampling of the most popular ones.
Stevie Wonder remembered Michael Jackson with two touching tributes over the weekend. The second one included singer John Legend.
The BET Awards show on Sunday night is receiving mixed reviews. (Be sure to read PittsIndeed's Dear BET: What the F^@k Was That? ) But it also gave us a very classy tribute from Maxwell and personal stories from the O'Jays.
Swimsuits for Gorgeous Grown-Ups
I see so many women in public who don't know yet to carry themselves with confidence. They're just hoping they've followed the right advice about covering up this, de-emphasizing that, balancing the top half with the bottom half, minimizing and so on. But, guess what? The people who tell you what you should and shouldn't wear DON'T KNOW YOU and they don't know your body. Take it all with a grain of salt because the big secret is this: some people want you to be as uptight as they are. Don't be. Be fabulous. Wear what you love, work it, and strut. Blow someone's mind. If you're happy and comfortable in it, throw your shoulders back and rock it.
Now, today we're talking about swimsuits. I don't really care where you get your swimsuit from as long as you feel GREAT in it. (Maybe you already have a super swimsuit at home!) Some of the Brickhouse sponsors have good ideas, but inspiration is everywhere so don't limit yourself. Take what you need from this post to go out and be you to the 10th power.
Always For Me Chic Natal Swim Dress - a top pick in this month's Essence magazine.
Tankini from Lane Bryant
Kiyonna Swimsuit
Old Navy Metallic Faux Tankini
I.F. Floral from Macy's
Catherine's Grommet Trim Swimdress
Now, you tell us! More ideas???? Great! Please share all your thoughts with us (swimsuit related or not) in comments.
Lucky Paperie: A Candy Colored Delight
If you could create your dream wedding stationery, what would it look like? Melanie Carter gets to answer that question everyday as the owner of Lucky Paperie. For her boutique she chooses modern, hand-crafted letterpress designs for keepsakes like invitations, placecards, menus, and ceremony programs. Those creations can then be customized with a variety of materials such as satin ribbon, monograms, and sparkles.
Even though the Georgia-based boutique is making a splash in the wedding industry, Lucky Paperie actually offers paper goods for all occasions. See more online.
How Do I Wear These Pants?
I don't mean that literally. I know that the only way to put pants on is "one leg at a time". But I could use some help figuring out how to wear my first ever pair of rock-chick leopard pants without looking like Peg Bundy.
Here's what happened: Recently, I've been buying basic pieces to support my work wardrobe. So I haven't been buying things that emphasize my wild side - and as many of you already know, I do have one! Well, yesterday, on a whim I purchased these Tripp leopard print pants from Torrid, WHICH I LURVE: 
Don't laugh! I really like these. But have you ever bought something and then realized afterwards that you have nowhere to wear that particular item? That might be what happened here. So I'm asking for help. How would you rock these pants? (And I know some of you just wouldn't.) I've been able to pull off much wilder things that this in the past, but I could use some tips this time. How would you wear them? And is it at all possible to wear them to work? Help!
Nuttin' But Stringz
I wish I could say "I knew these guys way back when...", but I can't. Instead, I discovered Nuttin But Stringz the way many other people did- through Jack's big Music Show on Noggin. NBS consists of two brothers, Damien and Tourie Escobar, from Queens, NY. They're formally-trained violinists who combine classical music with jazz and hip hop. My 2-year-old loves this song, called "Thunder".
Find out more about Nuttin But Stringz on the group's Web site and on the wikipedia page.
Top Ten Twitter Tools
Unfollowing: It's what's for dinner.
Well, not really. But getting a more targeted Twitter following is all the rage right now as social media enthusiasts become less enthused about having thousands of un-engaged followers. There are literally hundreds of tools designed to help you navigate Twitter and measure your success at getting in touch with the right people. But let’s take a look at just 10 free Twitter tools that could streamline your Twitter stream and keep you from swimming against the current.
1) If you don’t mind having your Twitter habits analyzed, MrTweet could help you build a valuable following rather quickly. It recommends people for you to follow based on your network and recommends you to other people. In addition, it collects statistics about the frequency and popularity of your “tweets.”
2) Do you want to find out what other Twitterers in your network are doing or talking about in real time? Sure, you could scroll through various user accounts or do a search by topic LIKE... A... NOOB. But, the more efficient way is to use a Twitter client that keeps track of search terms and functions as a dashboard. TweetDeck presents your Twitter account as a personal browser. It shows all of the people in your network, conversations going on between them, and replies to your messages. You can even respond to tweets right from TweetDeck, without opening another window for Twitter.
3) Twhirl also tracks Twitter conversations about you or any topic you’re interested in, but it doesn’t take over your entire computer screen. While TweetDeck helps you to listen to what’s being said, Twhirl makes it even easier to get in on the conversation. For example, it sends your tweets to ping.fm which redistributes those messages to other social networking services like Facebook, Friendfeed, and Seesmic.
4) Everyone wants to create posts that “go viral”. That’s one reason why tracking URLs is a huge part of social media networking, particularly when you have a message to promote. Twitt(URL)y not only tracks the Web addresses people are tweeting in real time, but ranks them according to popularity. You can even create a Twitt(URL)y profile that will allow the service to track the URLs in their tweets and measure the popularity of each one.
5) If you don’t necessarily need your URL-tracking in real time, Tweetmeme can provide much of the functionality of Twitt(URL)y in a bright, more user-friendly format. It tracks the most popular URLs on Twitter in five-minute intervals, and lays them out as stories.
6) Want to manage your reputation online? Tweetbeep is one reliable way to track any mention of your name, your competitor’s name or the name of a product. It’s like Google alerts for Twitter, in that it gives hourly updates through e-mail alerts. It also goes a step further in allowing you to expand your brand by putting out feelers for projects and networking opportunities.
7) Eventually, you’ll need to find out if you’re doing enough to engage your followers on Twitter. This will require some metrics, but many of the best tools are free and readily available. Twitterless, for example, will notify you when someone stops following you. In addition, it will graph out your follower history on Twitter to help you find out why you’re gaining or losing followers.
8) By now, social media enthusiasts realize that quality trumps quantity when it comes to followers. A good following is made up of people who communicate frequently and remain engaged. If you need a little more information about the people who are responding to you and your message, you might want to consider the statistics tool TwitterFriends. It shows you how many people you interact with and identifies the valuable people with whom you have the most conversations.
9) A location-based Twitter service like NearbyTweets is a must for anyone interested in planning offline events or targeting users by geography. It can group followers by location, help to initiate relevant group discussions, and monitor local buzz about a company or product.
10) Finally, now that your Twitter account is clicking along, let's take this show on the road with Twitter mobile tools. Depending on your device, Twitterific, Twitterberry, Twitterfon, Tweetie, and UberTwitter will allow you to keep up with what’s happening on Twitter through your cell phone or Blackberry even when you’re not in front of a computer.
Here's the most important part of this post: What Twitter tools are you using right now? Do you like the way they work or do you wish there was something better? Which ones have you been thinking about trying?
The First Lady on Sesame Street
What's the most fun thing Michelle Obama has done since becoming First Lady? She says it was visiting the set of Sesame Street last week to tape a segment about healthy habits. She explained to the press that "I never thought I’d be on Sesame Street with Elmo and Big Bird, and I was thrilled. I’m still thrilled. I’m on a high.”
Take a look at this clip of Mrs. Obama's appearance on Sesame Street:
The show is part of Sesame Street's "Healthy Habits For Life" initiative, encouraging exercise and nutritious eating habits.
Classic Hip Hop on Twitter: Rebirth of Click?
Speaking of music...
It's no longer a mystery what your favorite old school/classic/golden age hip-hop idol is up to. There's a very good chance he or she is on the Twitters. Normally studying music celebrities on Twitter isn't usually very helpful for regular folks who don't have "real world" fame. But something very interesting is happening right now in the way these rap pioneers use social media to connect with fans and each other. What we're finding out is that most of them are still on the scene in one way or another, and many of them are still making good music. Find out for yourselves. Below is a list of the classic hip-hop stars (and we did stretch this a bit to include some interesting folks) who have been active recently on Twitter. After thorough investigation, we're pretty sure the following tweeps are the real deal (we left off the ones we weren't sure about):
@DJFlash4eva
@djdnice
@JJFAD
@EricBandRakim
@TheFatBoys
@PrinceMarkieDee
@KurtisBlow1
@notdoinathing
@PlugWonDeLaSoul
@MCHammer
@mclyte
@UncleRUSH
@koolherc
@OfficialCampLo
@lordjamar
@DresBlacksheep
@Red_and_Meth
@llcooljames
@MrEdLover
@DaRealGregNice
@KurtisBlow1
@kidcapri101
@common
@snoopdogg
@RAEKWONICEWATER
@B_Real420
@djjazzyjeff215
@QTIPtheAbstract
@DJJAZZYJOYCE
@djquik
@BusaBusss
@justinwarfield
@RealTalibKweli
@DoodlebugFtDOR
@camplo
@delasoulsdugout
@ladybugmek
@wiseintelligent
@noreaga
@jarobione
@delasoul
@beastieboys
@TheRealKoolGRap
@GhostfaceKillah
@AliShaheed
@9thWonderMusic
@OfficialNaS
@mrxtothaz
@jeruthedamaja
@KRS_1
@MCSerch
@AndreBenjamin
@SpecialEdMusic
@KoolDJRedAlert
@spindeezy
@FABNEWYORK
@heavyd
@djscratch
@finallevel
@warrengeezy
@mastaace
@bcwild
@mrwhiteyford
Could be him:
@S_C_
Anyone we accidentally left off? Let us know in comments and we'll kick them up on the list.
Beyonce Lends "Shine" to Wubbzy
This is a great time to be a toddler, isn't it? The powers-that-be apparently believe preschool kids are one hot demographic. Cool toddler gear is being churned out at a dizzying pace and it's becoming harder and harder to keep track of all the stars visiting the hippest children's television shows. From April 27th to April 30th, pop singer Beyonce Knowles will be a special guest on Nick Jr's Wow Wow Wubbzy. She will be the voice of the lead singer of the Wubb Girlz, an all-girl band. Then, on May 1st, Beyonce will return in the role for the hour-long “Wubb Idol”! Check your local listings for exact times.
Here's a quick sneak preview of Beyonce rocking Wuzzleburg with her original tune, "Sing a Song":
Where the Wild Things Are
If you have a little one who loves to read (or be read to), chances are you already own Maurice Sendak's classic "Where The Wild Things Are" in book form. Well, soon it will be a feature film directed by Spike Jonze and produced by Tom Hanks. The cast includes Catherine Keener, Max Records, James Gandolfini, Forest Whitaker, Lauren Ambrose, and Mark Ruffalo. Like the children's book, the movie tells the story of Max, a little boy who creates his own world, including a forest inhabited by ferocious wild creatures.
The release has been pushed back a couple of times, but the current date is October 16, 2009. The trailer makes me think it might be worth the wait.
Oprah Comes To Twitterville: There Goes the Neighborhood?
First take a look at the picture on the left. Do you know what that is? It's a screenshot Oprah Winfrey's Twitter page. As you can see, the queen of daytime talk has tens of thousands of followers without uttering one tweet. But tomorrow, Oprah plans to dole out her first ever twit on her television show with Ashton Kutcher by her side- at which time all hell will break loose. Well, it will, won't it? Haven't all of the Twitter hiccups in the last week burned the Fail Whale into our weary retinas? What will happen when all those soccer moms, retirees, and other demographics hop online to discover the deliciousness that is Twitter? Can a system that is already creaking and groaning possibly take the strain? Just maybe it can bend a little more without breaking. It'll have to. Ready or not, here comes the most powerful woman in television.
Read more here and here.
The Fail Whale Martini
The Fail Whale drink, named for the illustration that pops up on your computer screen when Twitter is over-taxed, first appeared at the Shorty Awards in New York. Everyone says this is going to be the cocktail of the season, but it's almost impossible to find a proper recipe. It turns out there are two or three recipes. Thanks to some industrious Twitter buddies (and little help from @mixologist ) Black Twitterati has been able to piece them together. Choose your own adventure.
The Fail Whale Martini
1 part Absolute
1 part Cointreau
1 part Blue Curacao
Lime Slice
Pour over ice and mix in a shaker. Serve in martini glasses.
The Fail Whale Martini II (a variation on the Blue Whale
1 part Vodka or Gin (depending on who you ask)
1 part Blue Curacao
1 part Orange Juice
1 part Pineapple Juice
1 part Sweet and Sour Mix
Pour ingredients over ice and mix in a shaker. Strain into tall glasses.
Garnish with a plastic blue whale and a cherry. Serve.
The Fail Whale Drink, according to FailWhaleDrink.com is:
1 Glass of Heineken
.5 shot of Blue Curacao
.5 shoto of Vodka
1 Sardine (if available)
Drop the shot of Vodka and Blue Curacao into the pint glass heineken, garnish with a Sardine.
There's also the Fail Whale Iced Tea:
0.5 oz Blue Curacao
0.5 oz Gin
0.5 oz Rum
0.5 oz Triple sec
0.5 oz OVAL Vodka
Directions:
Pour all the ingredients over ice. Shake and garnish with a lemon squeeze.
If you decide to try any of these out, please come back and give a review! Also check out www.whatisfailwhale.info, which is the entire collection of fail whale sightings on the internet. Thanks to the original fail whale creator @yiyinglu for letting us dip our toes in her stream over at Flickr.
Throwback Thursday: Pinball Number Count
-by Erica
"1-2-3-4-5, 6-7-8-9-10, 11-12!"
When I was a child, the Pinball Number Count was my favorite cartoon skit on Sesame Street. I just didn't understand why the show couldn't run it every single day. Now, thanks to the internet I can share it with my little one who seems just as mesmerized as I was at his age. But, I only recently discovered it was sung by the Pointer Sisters! So here it is from the flashback vault, Pinball Number Count:
Debut: 1976 on Sesame Street
Produced in San Francisco for the Children's Television Workshop
