Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Props For Poperah, Beautiful Braids and F*ck 4shared!



Poperah aka Oprah has opened up her $40 million Academy for girls in South Africa. Ya'll know that I am not an Oprah fan but I have to support her on this, let's hope it turns out well. Of course there are some people who were sipping on haterade when she said she didn't build such a school for inner city kids because,

“I became so frustrated with visiting inner-city schools [in the U.S.]. If you ask the kids what they want or need, they will say an iPod or some sneakers. In South Africa, they don’t ask for money or toys. They ask for uniforms so they can go to school.”

I am not going to play the race card here, but more often than not inner city is just another word for black. Also as a whole the States isn't faring that well when it comes to appreciation of education. High School drop out rates for both black and white students across America have hit record highs in the last few years. When compared to students from other countries, American students rank rather low especially in the Arts and Sciences.

In my opinion if there are some American kids who won't go to school when it's free, I think that Oprah may as well build schools in places where kids want to go to school but have no schools to go to or can't afford to.

Moving on I have read time and again people railing against the eurocentric hairdos women rock nowadays specifically weaves (and of course we men get blamed for that). I was looking through the BBC website and I came across the picture below.



Frankly since I came to the states I can hardly recall the last time I saw a well done creative braid centred hairstyle. A few women here (very few) sport natural hair or braided hair, otherwise it is weave city galore! I have do admit that some of these weaves look good but the idea that the girl may be flossing with someone elses hair and the fact that underneath that weave her hair has been so messed up that it could be worse than mine really bring me back to earth with a thud.
So you ladies out there who are rocking the braids, natural locks or even no hair you have a supporter! Keep on keeping it real!

Now onto the first bastards of the year. The bitches at www.4shared.com, these muppets decided to delete my online storage account without telling me. So now most links I have to music or documents on this blog are dead. I think if they had a problem with anything on my account they should have told me.
Good thing that I don't trust free stuff especially since that website looked kind of shify and I had set up 2 accounts elsewhere and backed things up on dvd.
ps: I am reading a book on writing. I have found out how hard it is to try and learn the mechanics of something you do by reflex and instinct. There are so many rules and procedures when it comes to writing that I didn't know existed!

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

could i really be the first one in this busy blog? wacha i will come back. got to do backup also lest i lose my 'links' too.

Ichiena said...

lol bomseh! Madness has reached an all time high.

Right on aboout Poperah - I aint no fan too but kudos to her - at the end of the day, the end justifies the means.

Phew! For a moment thought you had braided. Ha.

walk said...

when i first saw the story i wanted to say oprah should have first helped poor african american girls in baltimore first but she did a good thing . we cant tell her where to spend her money and its a good thing she is helping young women out.so i say hongera may she build many more even in pokot

PROUD NYEUTHI said...

Enyewe even me I have some issues with that madam, lakini if she wants to jenga a school in Zamunda, she can feel free.
Braids are a haste in this country man. they cost an arm and a leg and they come nowhere close to those "auntie saloon" ones of Kenyatta Market. The expertise here is weaving and that's why mamas have angukiad such. Persoanlly, I have been unable to make piece with the idea of a weave. When all else fails, I shave my head. I cannot wait for it to get kidogo warm again.

Anonymous said...

Kudos. You are right about Poperah. However my first thought was she should have gone to poorer African countries.Yeah braids are real cute but what really kills me any time is a mamaa with short or no hair at all especially if she has big ass earings dangling.Now where do you get such words as "haterade"? Hio haijafika Kenya. My search in the dics (no k there eh?) turned out zilch.Beats me what more you want to know about writing. You do quite well.

Juju said...

on Oprah-- ditto! can't stand her American hypness.. and frankly noone deserves to be worshipped as she is. Kudos to her on the skl, deserving SA. I think tho her statement on innercity kids is irresponsible... like u said there is a BIG problem with America and raising children.. therein lies ur reason for school dropouts.

love afrocentric dos. never had a weave... and can't bring myself to doing a weave... thankfully too, my scalp is allergic to most synthetic hairs.

on writing, so I know exactly what u mean-- I am a professional writer.. lakini dont go assessing my writing on blogworld, coz this is the only place where I BREAK all RULES.

Anonymous said...

Love or hate her....Oprah is doing good with her chums. I just hope it doesnt stop only in SA. Who am I kidding???

As for the braids thing, I have to agree with proud nyeuthi. They cost an arm and a leg to do, compared to weaves. In my case, I have braided my hair twice in the UK and the first time I did it myself coz it reached a point I was quoted over the £100 to have it done professionally. I semad wacha ikae. Now, I am rocking locks. Cheap and easy......that is every 8 weeks I get them done at home. All I need is beeswax and shampoo!

Anonymous said...

Lover her or hate her she has done a good thing. Now if only these celebrities turn their attentions a little more to the north we may benefit from their benevolence.

Well made weaves, all right, braids, good, well treated hair with bounce and shine(without being greasy), HOT! Ladies your choice. :-)

WanjaKihii the tomboy said...

Kudos to Oprah. ( i am a big fan)

On the weave issue am all for the natural look.

CiikuMrsBabes said...

Hey Aco... [I need to speak with you]

Ok... I agree with you so much on education here. Its free and most of them are more concerned with what outfit they will wear to school rather than the quality of education. It doesnt help that there parents seem none-the-wiser, could really not be bothered. So Oprah [Even though this was some serious PR stuff] kudos!

And I also agree with whoever said athletes and rappers need to step up. Those NBA players get paid upwards of 20 million a year. After taxes, its still a good chunk of change. But instead of investing in the future of America, they are busy buying grills and 22"....

So to whoever are busy calling out Oprah about helping Africans, go and ask Shaque What have you done for me lately??

Ok.. Im done!

Mimmz said...

On Oprah, Jimmy Kimmel asked a simple question about where the American kids were getting their materialistic ideas from. Then switched over to the show where Oprah was jumping up and down as she yelled "you all get a car!" Enough said. All the same, may she build as many schools as she needs to anywhere, states, SA, pokot as suggested earlier. I'm in there with her on that one. But why did she invite the entire press unit, gossip shows like E, et al, to this grand opening? Why the need to showcase this achievement this loudly? Would she have done it if she wouldn't have been praised for it? I wonder.

But when she commented on Madonna and Brangelina and their adopting African kids, she and I agree on that one like 150%. Adopt any child who needs help, anywhere. And anyone who opposes that, sielewi!

Nakeel said...

Am not a fan but she did a very good initiative but am counting whereelse she will step should make a stop in Niger also if she doesnt want me to point it was all because of her self claimed Zulu gene.
I have braids too lovely ones as Aegeus told me.

Acolyte said...

@ bomseh
Congrats!
@ ichiena
Lmao! Me and braids are never going to happen!
@ the truth
I give her full props too!
@ proud nyeuthi
My sis has told me about the costs so I understand why chics go with weaves.
I am sure the shaved head gets you extra attention.
@ anon
I think some chics can rock that look really well if they have the head shape for it!
check urbandictionary.com for the meaning of haterade.Thanks for the compliment!
@ majonzi
I think your head will thank you in 20 years when you still have great hair while the weave sisters are gnashing.
Keep fun and work separate, keep on breaking the rules!
@ mocha
I guess you and stato mamas are in the same boat. I enjoy having locks
easier to maintain.
@ aegeus
I am not her greatest fan but I give her mad props for her work.
@ wanjakihii
Another chic after my own heart!
@ movie buff
I already know how we see eye to eye on this. Sadly black celebs do the bare minimum, selfish bastards!
@ mimmz
I agree that here in stato priorities are very badly skewed. It starts from the parents and trickles down.
@ nakeel
I should see your braids and admire. Yes she does need to pass Kenya by!

Gish said...

I think after all is said and done is about providing opportunity to those who need it and for that Ops you score.
Am a braids fan dunno why i cant stand weaves hmmmmph

Anonymous said...

HNY!I think Oprah has done a wonderful job considering all the sacrifice she has made which many of the worlds wont. i wont say i am not her fan because i dont know if i am but i am not. But enyewe she should have gone to really poor countries. SA iko mbele but most likely she feels attached for the Zulu roots and the Mandela connection and publicity obvioius!!Nothing for free i tell you.

Kwani no one feels attachment to Kenya?

Those braids look nice. I hate horse hair, have never had any on my dear head anyway.

Have a Prosperous 2007

Shiroh

Itchie Geezy said...

Chris Rock was also around![i like tis guy],but definetly i think that Oprah has done it.

One guy i most like is Branson and should also be finding out what he's done for Africa;thats big tym.

Aniwe to all ladies out there keep your hair natural.

Otherwise happy '07 Acolyte.

Quintessence said...

Oprah Oprah Oprah...tres bien!

Anonymous said...

c'est tres bien oprah ... but what is it with her and SA ... first she claims to be a zulu BIGTIME lie for all slaves are from smalltime west african states like gambia,ghana,guinea bissau etc etc ... she did a good job but am just beginning to wonder why this fascination with SA

cool braids!