Ali's World

Retro Fridays!

2012-02-03T23:17:00.000-05:00

Carnival is coming soon!! I wish I was in Trinidad to celebrate. Some retro Soca to celebrate the Carnival season, none other than Superblue, the Soca King himself!!
PS

PS Also a retro Soul Train video and may you rest in peace Mr. Cornelius.

Happy Martin Luther King Day!

2012-01-16T13:07:00.000-05:00

Happy Martin Luther King Day!! I was listening to the radio last night and the announcer asked," If Martin Luther King was alive today, what would you say to him?" Now that's a deep question. Well I would say thank you for sacrificing yourself for us, showing everyone that we are all equal no matter what color, race or creed. Thank you for giving us more opportunities such as voting and education that we take for granted nowadays and also more freedom for people like me to come to this country and give it support. I also want to apologize for lack of togetherness in our communities, and the self destruction that we allowed as well. We still have a long way to go but thanks to you Dr. King you have opened the door and it's up to us to keep it opened. Have a great day everyone!
Photo courtesy beaumontenterprise.com

Retro Fridays...Uh Sundays!

2012-01-15T17:33:00.000-05:00

Well I should have done a Retro Fridays video the first Friday of this month but honestly I have been lazy lately but I'm doing it today since it's Martin Luther King's birthday and I think that it's fitting to do a video tribute for him. Enjoy and happy birthday Mr. King!!

Red Tails

2012-01-15T17:23:00.002-05:00

Just in time for Black History Month, George Lucas of Star Wars fame is bringing out a movie, Red Tails, based on the Tuskegee Airmen. If I remembered correctly but wasn't there a tv movie based on the the Tuskegee Airmen? I love war films such as the Dirty Dozen, Saving Private Ryan and Apocalypse Now so it's great to see a war movie on the big screen with a large black cast. It's also great for the younger generation especially black youths to learn about their past. What's surprising that it took a long time for the movie to be made with George Lucas at the helm. We all know that black movies don't make it pass Hollywood unless it's for black audiences. It's really shocking that Lucas' movie almost didn't make it. That goes to show how narrow minded Hollywood is no matter how liberal it can be. I just have a few complaints though. Why are Cuba Gooding jr. and Terrence Howard the lead actors? I'm not really a big fan especially Howard and Cuba already acted in a similar movie if I'm not mistaken. Maybe an actor such as Denzel Washington (okay I love him don't judge me) or even an unknown actor can bring this movie to life. Also there was an issue with a white woman in the picture. Apparently there was some sort of interracial relationship going on which is fine but I'd like to see more black couples for a change especially during World War II. Then again I haven't seen the movie yet so I can't make any judgements. Also Method Man is in the movie! All the good reason to go see it. Well the movie comes out January 20th so definitely go check it out and plus like I said before it's a great learning experience for everyone.
Photo courtesy http://blogs.indiewire.com.

Woman is boss Part Deux!!

2012-01-08T21:55:00.000-05:00

Well as the saying goes, two times the charm. Portia Simpson Miller became Prime Minister for a second time in Jamaican and the third female Prime Minister (or should I say second) in the Caribbean region. Portia has a lot of work to do but I believe she can do it. She also made a move in trying to reduce homophobia in Jamaica. Honestly I'm not going to get my hopes up with homophobia going away overnight as Jamaica along with the rest of the islands is pretty conservative. I also understand that she wants her country to become a Republic, that is breaking ties with Great Britain as head of state. Well it's about time! I'm sure many people will not degree with the decision, believing that it will be disastrous for the country. However I look at it this way; Great Britain as the mother and Jamaica as the child. The mother nurtures and feeds her child at a young age however as the child grows into an adult he began to look after himself. He might make mistakes but at least he'll learn and mature eventually. Same with Jamaica, I think it's time that it stands on its own feet. I wish Portia the best, there are many hurdles ahead and best of luck. Congratulations Portia!!!
Photo courtesy clutchmagonline.com

Happy New Year!!

2012-01-01T23:32:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone!! Hoping everyone is having a great time partying and spending time with family and friends! Wow I can't believe it's already 2012. Time goes by fast!! I'm looking forward to the new year after a trying and taxing year last year. I also hoping there will be no natural disasters however I can't control Mother Nature but I hope she can be nice for a change. Hopefully there will be peace since our soldiers came back from Iraq and Afghanistan may be next I hope. Also I'm looking forward to the Olympics in London which should be exciting and the drama in the Presidential elections. Any whoo just want to wish everyone a happy and prosperous new year and be safe out there.
Photo courtesy photoxels.com

What's with these women and the N word?

2011-12-30T11:32:00.000-05:00

I apologize for the lack of post lately. I've been working as an indentured servant in the real world for chump change and studying for the finals. Plus the Christmas season came and went and the New Year is fast approaching. Well plenty bacchanal from the past few days; Kim Jong- il died, Kobe Bryant's divorce and Herman Cain's 9-9-9 problems, it's enough to keep us entertained for the year. Well I just want to talk about what happened last week. What these women above have in common? The use of the n'word. Earlier this year a woman held up a sign during the silly Slut Walk protest, proclaiming "Woman the Nigger of the World." As expected there was a backlash especially from women of color who felt disrespected when all they want was respect and equality just as white women. What kills me is the total disregard and lack of respect for women of color and their struggles in the world which brings me to another woman Eva Hoeke who was an Editor-in-Chief of Dutch magazine, Jackie. Apparently a genius decided to write an article on Rihanna calling her a N***er bitch, and here is an excerpt which really had me shaking my head;

“She has street cred, she has a ghetto ass and she has a golden throat. Rihanna, the good girl gone bad, is the ultimate niggabitch and displays that gladly, and for her that means: what’s on can come off. If that means she’ll be on stage half naked, then so be it. But Dutch winters aren’t like Jamaican ones, so pick a clothing style in which your daughter can resist minus ten. No to the big sunglasses and the pornheels, and yes to the tiger print, pink shizzle and everything that glitters. Now let’s hope she won’t beat anybody up at daycare.”

Courtesy Parlour Magazine.

Really Ghetto Ass? Golden throat? What the hell are pornheels and beating up people in daycare? And for the record Rihanna is from Barbados, not trying to throw shade at Jamaica but there are other islands in the Caribbean but I guess the editors are too dumb to realize that they exist. After the backlash the EID offered a half assed apology blaming America for the word NB, claiming it was a slang. Uh I've spent 14 years in the US and I've never heard people say NB probably the N'word and the B'word but not together. If they were trying to be sarcastic well they failed horribly. It's really sad that black women are insulted on a daily basis and even worse by white women. It's time that black people stop using the n'word especially the younger generation because if other can't say it you shouldn't say it neither including Rihanna. It's also time for black women to love and respect ourselves, and support each other because frankly no one is going to respect us especially by other women. That should be our new year's resolution, be a badass keep reaching for the stars because we are much more than N***er bitches, we are women just like our melanin challenged counterparts who demands respect and equality. Well that's my rant for 2011, see you in the new year!
Photos courtesy The Fashion Bomb, Racialicious and the decciie.com/

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

2011-12-25T22:01:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas everyone, Seasons Greetings, Feliz Navidad and Joyeux Noel! Hope you all are having a great time today with the gifts, food and hanging with friends and family. I also want to wish a Merry Christmas to my fellow troops serving at home and overseas. It's not easy during this time of year being so far away from family and friends, I experienced that firsthand 6 years ago in Afghanistan, far away from home but yet we still celebrate the holidays trying to make it as normal as possible. Also let's celebrate the birth of Jesus that's what Christmas should be about but now it's so watered down that I'm losing the Christmas spirit. Nonetheless Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!

Photo courtesy Christwallpaper.net.

Retro Fridays!

2011-12-02T22:56:00.001-05:00

Yes Virginia, Trini Christmas is de best!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T22:13:00.001-05:00

As we eat our belly full of turkey this year, I just to give thanks that I'm alive and well, surrounded by friends and family. I'm also thankful for having a job which is not paying much but it's a job nonetheless. Lastly I want to thank the troops serving at home and overseas, and hopefully make it home safe. There is a lot to be thankful for, and I don't see why we need one day to be thankful but nonetheless Happy Thanksgiving and don't eat too much :)!
Photo courtesy theholidayspot.com.

Versace Madness!!

2011-11-19T19:22:00.001-05:00

Okay so I woke up early this morning...well 4:30am to be exact to head over to 34th Street in Manhattan for Versace for H&M. Usually I got up early at this time for work, with less enthusiasm but not today! I woke up excited and rushed out my apartment! Well it's the weekend so the trains moved slower than usual. Well I got to Manhattan at 6:05 am, a little worried that there would be a long line but surprisingly it wasn't, thank you Jesus. The store was slated to be opened at 8am so everyone including myself stayed in the line for almost 2 hours. Some people gave us coffee to keep us warm which was really nice of them. My toes were getting numb at that point but if I could train in freezing weather while in the army for the whole day, standing in the cold should be no problem. Some shoppers even spent the night at the store. Well they're must be diehard fashionistas because there's no way I'll spend the night in the cold, freezing my butt off. Around 7:00 am we were given wrist bands (similar to Lanvin) with different time slots for the women's collection but none for the men. Hmm a little bias maybe?! My time was scheduled for 10:05am. Finally the store opened at 8am and it was a free for all in the men's section. The men shopping there were very vicious and I always thought that women were the crazy shoppers. Of course the men's leather jackets were sold out and people were grabbing mens' shirts and t-shirts left and right. I left the shoppers to do battle among themselves and went to check out the women's section. It was more organized, with 20 shoppers and the time limit of 15 minutes. We can get two of each style which is great which will prevent ebay hoarders from buying up the same style but some clothes would end up on ebay anyway. Of course there were other hoarders who disregarded the rules but the security guards and the H&M staff put a stop to the madness. Finally it was my turn! I was so excited to get my hands on the collection. I made a beeline for the red dress and I bought a scarf and a ring. The women's leather jackets were already sold out; I guess that's the reward for the people who stayed up last night. I really wanted the black leather dress with the gold studs but alas it was financially out of my reach but still beautiful to look at. The other clothes were too garish for me so I didn't even bother. Overall it was a great experience and more organized than Lanvin, I just wished it was the same for the men's collection though but maybe next year it'll be better. I wonder who's collaborating next. Rumor has it that Tom Ford will be next but no word on that. Well after standing in cold I was tired and hungry, but it was worth the wait! At least I got to take a nap in the end! That's my reward! Thanks H&M!!
PS Here are some pictures I took in the store! Sorry for some of the bad photos I was in a rush!

Versace for H&M - slideshow maker

Kindle on Fire!!

2011-11-15T22:20:00.001-05:00

Just in time for Christmas, a cool gadget to play with, introducing the Kindle Fire from Amazon. Part of me said, "Gimme, gimme right now," while the more reasonable part said, "Pay your bills." The reasonable side won...for now. Starting tomorrow (or tonight...maybe), Amazon will be shipping out it's orders to it's customers. You probably knew about Kindle e-book readers already but recently the company brought the new Kindle in color and with more features and get this it's only $199 compared to the iPad which is around $499 and up. The iPad is cool and all but are you willing to shell out $500 for a tablet? Might as well buy a cheap computer or a small laptop! Well some things I love about the Kindle is that it's small and lightweight, about 7.5 inches x 4.7 inches and weighs 14.6 ounces, touch screeen and also scratch resistant. This is great!! I can dump it in my school bag and not worried about it getting scratched! It stores at least 18 million movies, apps, magazines, newspapers and songs (Amazon.com). The battery life is 8 hours of reading and 7.5 hours of videos. Only thing I'm not fond of is that apps and songs have to come from Amazon whereas iPad to can transfer apps from other competitors including Barnes and Noble Nook apps and Amazon Kindle apps. Plus you have to sign up to Amazon Prime to get more songs and books and it's only WiFi, hopefully soon they'll put the 3G on the device. Overall it looks like a great product for a great price but remember though it's only for entertainment! If you want to do more with a tablet such as making videos, editing and writing documents, the iPad is the way to go. However if you want to read a good e-book and play some games on the cheap the Kindle Fire for you!! So what are you waiting for?! Time to shop :)!!
Photo courtesy cnet.com

RIP To the Great Icons!

2011-11-14T19:12:00.001-05:00

As of right now I'm trying to fix the glitch on this blog. It seems that the side bar got possessed and move to the bottom of the blog. If you notice any changes just bear with me as I try to fix the problem. Anyhoo, I just want to show respects for Joe Frazier and Heavy D. Last week boxer Joe Frazier and shockingly Heavy D passed away. Joe Frazier otherwise known as "Smokin' Joe," was an Olympic gold medalist in 1964 and also known as the boxer who defeated Muhammed Ali in a match called, "Fight of the Century," in 1971. While Ali was more outspoken, Frazier was more quiet, letting his actions do the talking, eventually defeated Muhammed Ali in the process. Maybe because of his quietness he was labelled, "Uncle Tom," among others by Ali. However to me he was a hard working man, who achieved the odds without using such bravado. Joe Frazier died of liver cancer on the 7th of November and he will be missed! Another great who was passed away was Hip-Hop's finest Heavy D. He died on November 8th of respiratory distress. Born in Jamaica, he and his family moved to Mt.Vernon, NY in the early 1970's. Unlike some hip-hop in the 90's and even today, his rap songs are usually positive, with love rap in the mix. He even put a Jamaican spin, bringing new flavor in Hip-Hop. He's one of the pioneers of hip-hop and there's no other like him and he will be missed. RIP!
Photos courtesy Wikipedia and CTV.ca.

Happy Veteran's Day!

2011-11-11T22:58:00.001-05:00

Happy Veterans Day everyone. Yes it's a great time to shop for good sales but lets take time out to remember those who served and sacrificed themselves to preserve our freedom we take for granted. Also honor those who are still serving at home and overseas. Honestly I'd feel bad shopping on this day when my fellow military crew are still serving overseas in deployments so I just want to say thank you very much and God bless you for all you do!!!

Photo courtesy Wikipedia.

Congrats Anya!!!

2011-11-07T19:51:00.001-05:00

Ahh!! This is a proud to a Trini moment right now!! Congrats Anya on winning Project Runway. I'm so proud of her! Honestly I thought that Viktor was going to win since he had great sewing skills and strong presentation but after seeing his final pieces I wasn't so convinced. When Anya auditioned for the show the judges were not impressed and were understandably horrified that she learnt to sew in 4 months!! Now that's a genius (seriously). It's probably take me a year to learn to sew. However with Heidi's support, she got in the competition! At times she struggled and even other designers doubted her skills especially Josh but eventually she persevered in the end and eventually won the competition. I really loved her designs. They were beautiful and flowing and the beautiful colors reminded me of the Caribbean Sea. They were cohesive as well compared to other designers. I had to give it to Anya! She went through a sex scandal and the death of her brother and yet she came out strong and followed her dreams. I'm there are haters out there already but everyone in entitled to one's opinion. However Anya inspired me to never give up no matter what I'm going through, it'll be worth it in the end! Also follow your dreams forget the naysayers!! Maybe I'll take up sewing again! Congratulations Anya, you made TnT proud!!
Photo courtesy http://hellousdaily.com/2011/10/29/project-runway-winner-anya-ayoung-chee-takes-home-top-prize-during-season-9/

Pictures from Project Runway at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week

Retro Fridays

2011-11-04T21:42:00.000-04:00

My new blog!!

2011-10-22T23:15:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! Check out my new blog, I'm a 90's Girl! No I'm not abandoning this blog, but I want to put more focus on one theme such as the 90's era with a sense a humor about it! Well let's see how I'm going to manage two blogs, school and job hunting. Well a woman always multitask. So head over there and check it out. I only posted one note so far but look out for more soon!!!

Versace for H&M

2011-10-22T01:31:00.000-04:00

On a brighter note, Versace is collaborating with H&M and the designs will be released on November 17th in the US just in time for Christmas!! With their tropical colors, the clothing which reminded me Versace of the 90's, where bright colors, angels and geometric shapes were used on the clothing. It's also have a Asian and a Miami Vice fusion going on. Well there are some hits and misses but my fave is the black leather which has a rugged sexiness to it. Hopefully it will be as orderly as the Lanvin collection last year compared to Missoni for Target which was pure madness. I'm sure ebayers are watching the collection like a hawk; waiting to buy some of the clothes and then jack up the prices. Well everybody got to make a dollar, since we're in a recession. Check out the collection on Beauty is Diverse and happy shopping!!!

PS. There is contest going in H&M for the Versace collection. Just sign up for the newsletter and enter the competition. Prizes are Versace scarves for the top ten designs and a trip to New York City. Check it out on H&M.com.

Photo courtesy H&M via Beauty is Diverse.

Gaddafi's gone but what happens next?

2011-10-22T00:06:00.001-04:00

Well we all know by now that Gaddafi was killed after being overthrown by a civil war in Libya. If you want to see the graphic videos you can check out Huffington Post, CNN or even Al Jazeera, but I'm not posting it here. His rule finally came to an end after 42 years in power, hell he was ruling while my mom was young and I wasn't even born yet! Strangely, he is also an icon of sorts, just a little more sinister. Who could forget the Pan Am bombing which he finally took responsibility for, the flashy clothes worn everywhere and a bevy of women surrounding him? I guess he liked a big harem. He brought great things to the country, such as healthcare and high literacy rate but that came at price for the population, such as human rights violations rampant in the country. Well his reign of terror is over and Libya can start afresh. However what's going to happen after the civil war? There is a strong military presence in Egypt; will Libya have the same fate? What about rebuilding the country? That's going to take a long time! I'm also concerned about women and blacks Libya. I fear that women will be treated as second class or maybe I'm overreacting. However there were attacks on black people there and some were killed. I guess it's payback time and hunting season for black folks since some of them were hired as mercenaries in Gaddafi's army. However most of them came to work in the country and now they are used as scapegoats and as I said before, they were murdered. Well hopefully the fight for freedom will not go in vain and the Libyans will have a democratic government but at this point we just have to wait and wish for the best for the Libyans.

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Loss of an Icon

2011-10-12T23:20:00.003-04:00

As you know, Steve Jobs died on October 5th, a death which was caused by pancreatic cancer. It feels like an big hole in the world with a loss such as this. My first experience with an Apple product was an old MacIntosh computer at my aunt's house in the late 90's. I was mesmerized by it to say the least. It was so different from PCs, from the internet browser to software. It seems like Apple rebelled against the rules in the computer world. Why does it have to be different from the PCs? What that's all about? My interest waned over the years and it was back to the PC world. All that changed when Apple introduced the colorful G4 computers and the iPods which took the world by storm. With his innovative mind, Steve and his company went on to create more products such as the iPhone and recently the iPad which are now part of our everyday lives. What I like about Steve is that he took risks with his unconventional ideas, which eventually changed the underdog of technology into a mighty powerhouse. I just want to say thanks for cool gadgets and now I have my own Mac computer which is a godsend for me. But I really want to give thanks for his ingenuity, believing in himself and being so passionate about his company and he will be greatly missed. RIP Steve!

photo courtesy dvorak.org

Retro Fridays

2011-10-07T21:11:00.000-04:00

RIP Sylvia!

Is it justice or revenge?

2011-09-22T15:59:00.000-04:00

Last night Troy Davis was executed, despite all the protests and lack of evidence. I was hopeful that he would get one more chance of survival, but unfortunately that didn't happen. Today I'm sad, angry and depressed! When I was younger, I used to think that America was like Superman, standing up for justice and freedom for all. How naive and disappointed I was!! I don't even know what to think anymore. Is there any hope for humanity especially in America? Frankly I've lost faith in the judicial system, it only works if you''re a celebrity, rich or white. The only thing that came out of this situation was that everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity and religion came out to show solidarity and demanded change in the Judicial System! That I can be thankful for! Hopefully we don't stop fighting for justice, even though we're at a loss right now. Honestly it's all about revenge which offers no closure really and the State of Georgia has blood on it's hands. My prayers goes out to the Davis and MacPhail families because they gonna all the prayer and strength to move on. Lastly RIP Troy, you're in a better place now!!

Photo courtesy ABC

When Justice is served....or not!

2011-09-17T00:59:00.000-04:00

Unless you have been living under a rock, a innocent man, Troy Davis is about to be executed next Wednesday in Georgia. Even with all evidence stating that he is innocent he still on the way to be executed. This must be hunting season for black folks; it's either we're killing each other or the so-called law is killing us. To me giving an innocent the death penalty is pretty much murder. Frankly the death penalty should be abolished; it's flawed and it would not bring back loved ones who were murdered. But then again it's the south where capital punishment reigned supreme. At least 2,000 people protested against the death penalty. I just hope that it didn't go in vain. I'm not a religious person and I even don't pray that much, but I'm praying to God to spare his life and justice will finally be served!
PS. There's still time to do your part to stop this madness and here are some links to sign the petition.

NAACP - http://www.naacp.org/pages/too-much-doubt

Amnesty International - http://blog.amnestyusa.org/tag/troy-davis/

ColorOfChange.org - http://colorofchange.org

Change.org

Photo courtesy NAACP.

10 Years ago....

2011-09-11T23:47:00.000-04:00

An event occurred which changed New York City and the United States forever. I can't believe it's ten years already. I remembered the day before was raining and the next day it was beautiful and sunny. I was even getting ready to go to Manhattan when I saw on the news that the two towers were destroyed by airplanes driven by terrorists. To say that I was terrified was an understatement. These attacks made us more vulnerable and even paranoid at times. It was also a new reason to serve in the army at that time. Instead of joining the army for benefits I really wanted to serve America; after all it has offered me many things, at least I can do is serve my new country. We finally found Bin Laden and perhaps there can be some closure, but after these attacks we can never be the same again. We must forgive and move forward but never forget and RIP to those who died senselessly in those and those who risked their lives to save others. God bless!

Photo courtesy monsterpolitic.com

Retro Fridays!

2011-09-02T09:30:00.000-04:00

It's Friday!! I can't believe it's September already! I'm doing something different today. I'm adding three videos, more of a tribute, Aaliyah, Nick Ashford of the group Ashford and Simpson, duo with his wife Ashley Simpson (RIP) and a song for Hurricane Irene!! Enjoy and have a great weekend!!