Tameeka Time

VOTE FOR ME!!

tameekab@gmail.com (Tameeka Time) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:56:58 PST

Hello Lovely & Loyal Blog Readers,

I need your help. Myself and artist Christian Cortes entered our graff/art videos into this contest for Babelgum. We are going for the Best Street Art Video Award and the winner will receive a cash prize of $ 5,000 and our video will be screened in Times Square.

So if you can just click on any banner in this post and vote for the video's I shot and edited (you don't even have to sign up - just vote). Votes are counted daily so share this with all your friends) Help us win this!!

Here's some info on the contest:

Babelgum Metropolis is looking for the globe’s best and edgiest artists for the world’s biggest art show (probably!). Winners will have their work shown on giant advertising screens this December in Times Square, the neon heart of New York City. Not only will you share your artwork with millions in the world’s contemporary art capital, you’ll also enjoy the kudos of being a maverick art squatter among New York’s most expensive advertising real estate! Overall winners will be chosen by iconic arthouse actress and video artist Isabella Rossellini and an illustrious panel of judges from the art world. See the "Meet the Judges" panel on the right to find out more.

Puerto Rico Graffiti Tour Video Part 5 of 6

tameekab@gmail.com (Tameeka Time) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:43:08 PST

Here's the 5th installment of Cortesnyc's Puerto Rico graffiti tour.
I really enjoyed editing this video mostly because of the documentary portion.
In this one Cortes got a chance to interview graff and tattoo artist Blen167. The interview takes place in Blen's tattoo shop and we've even got a few shots of him tattoo'ing another artist; John Smalls.

Check it out. It's an interesting video.
(And if you haven't watch the other videos in this series click here: Cortesnyc's Puerto Rico Graff Tour Videos)

Video shot by J.Smalls (http://www.youtube.com/user/artbysmalls )
Edited by Tameeka Ballance ( http://www.youtube.com/user/tameekab )
Music by CortesNyc (http://cortescreates.com)

Good Hair Movie Review

tameekab@gmail.com (Tameeka Time) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:42:19 PST

I finally made time and went to the 34th Street AMC Loews Theater and watched Chris Rock's documentary Good Hair.

I was pleasantly surprised by the crowd that was viewing the film. It was a mixed bag of Whites, Blacks, and Asians.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the film itself. I liked the film for what it was. I'm glad that Chris Rock is trying to inform people about black hair since it is a topic/issue in every black woman's life.

I did leave the theater thinking about my own hair situation, which means Chris Rock did something right. A well produced documentary should make the viewers (or at least one viewer) think about their own situation and how they can relate to the film.

There were a few aspects of the film that I did like and some that I felt were not necessary (or it's role could have been shortened in the film).

Such as the topic of "natural hair". Rock spoke about every type of weave, perms, wigs, and styles but he didn't inform people that not all women have to perm their hair or wear wings. People should know that there are alternatives.

There were scenes of Rock interviewing women in various salons getting their hair weaved, braided, and permed. I would have liked him to ask every woman "why don't you just go natural and leave the "creamy crack" (perm) alone." The topic was bought up but not discussed heavily, I think that would have made for some great on screen conversations amongst the women.

The film was heavily casted with B & C list celebrities (and maybe an A list celeb or two). But to me that added a bit of charm to the documentary. I think it helped the female audience relate to their favorite r&b singer or black actress.

I was surprised to see rapper/actor Ice-T in this doc. I forgot that he was always known for his luxurious pimp like style. He surely added a masculine touch to the interview portion.

Everyone gave good, light hearted, even humorous interviews. The only one that bothered me was Raven Symone (Olivia from The Cosby Show). She was a bit awkward and came off a little too obsessed with her weaves and when Chris Rock asked her about starting her own line of hair, she responded like she was making a joke but being half serious, it was just weird.

As for the "hair show portion" of the film, it was well spread out but it played a bigger role than it should have especially in a film about "good hair". The characters that were followed didn't even talk about what "good hair" meant to them, they were just worried about their performance in the hair show not how their models hair styles looked. So that was a bit odd to me.

There were two things that I learned from this film. I did not know that women were allowing their 3-year old daughters to get their hair permed.

That's insane. I was shocked when Chris Rock was talking to little girls and they were taught to think that perming your hair is what you are supposed to do. I also learned that Indian hair is a huge commodity amongst black people. I did know that women were purchasing and wearing Indian hair but I just didn't know it was so expensive and in such demand. There are even stories of a young Indian girls getting their hair stolen off of their heads (in India not America).

Over all, I think this documentary is worth seeing. Everyone can learn about the "black hair struggle".

I am not too fond of Rock's comedy (especially in this film) but he did make a great point that "what's on the inside is what really matters."

**If I happened to convince you to see this film and you haven't watched the trailer yet, check it out here.

Black Hair Puzzle Solution

tameekab@gmail.com (Tameeka Time) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:04:04 PST

Hello lovely people,,, I'm now back on track with my blogging and here are the Black Hair Word Search solution.

I've included brief descriptions of all of the words in puzzle for those who still wonder about black hair terms & a few YouTube videos to visual it. Hope this helps and informs. Also, be sure to share this post with all your lady friends.

-Micro braids: Micro Braids are small, delicate braids. They come in several different sizes and lengths, and take about 7 to 9 hours to complete. {Micro Braid Tutorial Video}

-Curls: To Curl one's hair is to twist or roll into coils or ringlets. {How to curl your hair}

-Extensions: Extending one's hair is the method of adding commercial hair to natural hair. These methods are used to conceal thinning or hair loss in concentrated areas. {Adding extensions to your hair - yes white girls do it too}

-Pony tail: A ponytail is a hairstyle in which most or all of the hair on the head is pulled away from the face, gathered and secured at the back of the head with a hair tie, clip or similar device, and allowed to hang freely from that point. It gets its name from its resemblance to the tail of a horse or pony. {How to make a ponytail}

-Kinky: Also known as "Black hair", the term is used to refer to the typical texture of Black African hair that has not been altered by hot combs, flat irons, or chemicals (by perming, relaxing, straightening, bleaching or coloring). {Natural Kinky Hair}

-Corn Rows: a traditional style of hair grooming where the hair is braided very close to the scalp, using an underhand, upward motion to produce a continuous, raised row. And they are typically worn by either men or women. {Cornrow instructional video}

-Flat twists: Twists are a two-stranded hairstyle that can be achieved using natural hair or synthetic extensions. It may be done on short, medium or long hair. {How to do Flat Twists}

-Mohawk: In the most common variety, both sides of the head are shaved leaving a strip of noticeably longer hair in the center. {Cute braided Mohawk Style}

-Fade: Also known as a "flat top" is a type of very short hairstyle similar to the crew cut, with the exception that the hair on the top of the head is deliberately styled to stand up (typically no more than an inch) and is cut to be flat, resulting in a haircut that is square in shape. -- I couldn't find any females w/ fades except Grace Jones so I settled for this {funny lil video of a man w/ a flat top}

-Hair Grease: is hairdressing consisting of a perfumed oil or ointment. {Blue magic is talked about around 0:44}

-Box Braids: Box Braids is a type of hair extension, they consist of three-strand braids created by crossing opposing strands, one pair on top of the other. {Different Box Braid Styles}

-Finger Waves: is a method of setting hair into waves (curls) that was popular in the 1920s and 1930s and in the late 1990s in North America and Europe. The process involves pinching the hair between the fingers and combing the hair in alternating directions to make a wave shape. {Finger wavin'}

-Perms: is the chemical and/or thermal treatment of hair to produce waves, curls or straight hair. {Great vid on perming hair}

-Flat Iron: is a tool used to change the structure of the hair with the help of heat. {Flat Ironing your hair}

-Texturized: {See Kinky definition above}

-Dread locks: are heavy matted coils of hair which form by themselves eventually fusing together to form a single dread. This is possible in all hair types if the hair is allowed to grow naturally without grooming or conditioning for a long period of time. {How to dread your hair}

-Wigs: are a head of hair made from horsehair, human hair, wool, feathers, buffalo hair, or synthetic, worn on the head for fashion or various other aesthetic and stylistic reasons, including cultural and religious observance. The word wig is short for periwig and first appeared in the English language around 1675. {Putting on wigs}

-Ringlets: is a type of hairstyle. It is achieved by wrapping a lock of hair around the length of a thin curling iron or can be sported naturally by people with sufficiently tightly curled hair. Ringlets are often also known as tube curls. {How to make ringlet curls}

-Jheri Curl: the Jheri curl is a glossy, loosely curled look. It was touted as a "wash and wear" style that was easier to care for than the other popular chemical treatment of the day. Did you know Michael Jackson wore a jheri curl? {Male Jheri Curl Tutorial}

-Afro: sometimes shortened to "fro", is a hairstyle in which the hair extends out from the head like a halo, cloud or ball. {Natural Fro}

-Weaves: {See Extensions definition above}

-Front lace: is the most recent development in weaving extensions. They are made from a nylon mesh material formed into a cap that is then hand ventilated by knotting single strands of hair into the tiny openings of the capform, giving the hair a more natural, realistic flow than conventional extensions, and creating a lighter, more breathable cap. {Front Lace Instructional Video}

-French Bun: Similar to a pony tail but the hair is not loose, it's tucked in. {French Bun}

-Natural: {See Kinky definition above}

*If you haven't completed the puzzle yet & would like to try it out go here: Tameeka Time's Black Lady Hair Word Search

Going Behind The Beast

tameekab@gmail.com (Tameeka Time) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:28:37 PDT

Hello Blog readers... Tameeka Time has been a lil behind... I will be back later this week & this weekend with new posts about the following:

Good Hair Puzzle Answers
Good Hair movie review
Casserole Crazy
Special Birthday Cookies & Treats
Halloween Fun

But before I can do that ... I'm going "Behind the Beast" ... I will be attending an event tonight at the Soho Grand ...

It's described as:
a unique panel some of the city's leading fashion industry experts including designers, forecasters, stylists, photographers, publicists and editors. The night of cocktails and conversation will illuminate the road to this challenging industry for professionals, students and followers alike. Get the inside scoop on what exactly goes into the glamorous life from new product launches, magazine spreads, trend forecasting, fashion shows, and more. So I will RAWR on tonight. Remember to follow me on twitter for real-time updates on what I'm doing or where I'm at. Lataz! MuaHz <3

Friday Pause...

tameekab@gmail.com (Tameeka Time) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:59:58 PDT

I have to interrupt my "Good Hair Week" to show you lovely blog readers this video.

I will warn you that it's 10 minutes long but it is worth every moment.

Here you will see a drunk man in a local gas station store picking up beer.

*I know we've all been a bit tipsy but this is extreme. I just wish there was one song played throughout the whole video but none the less it's hilarious.

I just love the fact that this guy is such a go-getter. He will not stop until he pays for his beer.

It's called "Blame it on the Alcohol"

*Thnx Ctes for the link

Different Styles...

tameekab@gmail.com (Tameeka Time) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:34:04 PDT

Throughout the last 5-8 years I've had so many different hair styles.
Once I started college I guess I had some kind of hair revelation. I no longer wanted just perm (straightening) my hair. Plus I had a few mishaps at certain hair salons in Brooklyn. One woman at a Dominican salon said she would just trim my edges and she ended up cutting my hair very short. I remember crying and being so upset (this also happened at an African American salon). So now I am very weary of people cutting my hair.

But I had to deal with it and I decided that I would experiment with my hair. So I dyed my hair, curled it, had full weaves put in, got pony tails, corn rows, braids, I even had a sort of Mohawk thing at one point. I did a lot.

Here are a few pics I dug up with all the different hair styles I've had.

What are your thoughts? Which one did you like? I love them all. But my favorite hair style has to be the curly braided style. My hair has become sort of a hobby. I'm even considering going "natural",,,, but that would be a big deal for me because I would no longer be able to perm my hair. But we'll see.

Have you ever had a bad hair experience? Anyone ever cut your hair the wrong way? Let me know. Share your hair story.

Good Hair Word Search Puzzle

tameekab@gmail.com (Tameeka Time) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:22:00 PDT

In my continued celebration of "Good Hair" the movie.
I came up with a word search puzzle. I've always loved word searches.

This one is called: Things you should know about Black Lady Hair.

I had a really good time putting this puzzle together. Searching for all of the celebrity hair styles, the hair greases, products, wigs, everything!

Here are 26 terms that describe popular hair styles and products/instruments used mostly for and on black hair.

I've had most of these hairstyles or know relatives who've had these styles or used a flat iron or this particular hair grease.

This puzzle will be fun for everyone!

Print it out. See if you can find all 26 words.

I'll post up the answer later this week, with a list of what the terms mean and what some of the products are used for.

Big thanks to Artist Chris Cortes for helping me with the graphics on the puzzle.

~Good Hair Word Search Puzzle~

Tameeka Time celebrates "Good Hair"

tameekab@gmail.com (Tameeka Time) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:47:11 PDT

In celebration of Good Hair's release - all of my blog posts this week will be related to hair.

I'm really surprised that Chris Rock's documentary has so many bloggers, vloggers, daytime, late night shows, and people in general discussing hair.

I have not seen the movie yet but I'm really looking forward to it.

On my end, "good hair" always meant straight, long, luxurious hair. Growing up I used to hang out with a lot of latin females and I loved their long hair that went down their backs.

But as I've grown I've learned that it's not JUST about having long straight hair.

It's about looking good, feeling good, feeling comfortable with the look YOU have. For the past few years I've really gotten into braiding and weaving my hair. So now I can have long straight hair if I want to.

I remember back in school that weaves were a curse. And people would always talk about the girls who had the weaves.

But weaves, extensions, or braids are a personal choice. I love it because I can sort of re-invent myself with a long straight weave, or show my fierce side with curly wavy braids.

It's one of the reasons why I love being a woman. The fact that I can change my hair style, change the way I dress, enhance my "swagger" so often.

It's all personal and I know there are people out there that think, "oh her hair is not real so she must not be real either" - what about people who've had rhinoplasties, tummy tucks, breast and calf augmentations, liposuction, face and neck lifts, eyelid surgery, or even cheek implants.

There are people who are having medical procedures performed to enhance their looks. Weaves and extensions can be taken out, nothings permanent.

So if you know someone who has a weave or extensions, embrace their hair don't frown upon it.

Just think of some one's hair as an accessory.

Here's some pics of my current style, wet & wavy braided extensions.

And if you have not seen the trailer check it out:

Pony tail dreams...

tameekab@gmail.com (Tameeka Time) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 06:40:42 PDT

Happy Sleepy Monday All!

I call this one "Pony tail Dreams" ... this is my first photo from a bus.
This was taken on a Jamaica Center bound bus.
Poor girl couldn't take it anymore. I got off before her. I hope she didn't miss her stop.

Still horsin' around

tameekab@gmail.com (Tameeka Time) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:19:52 PDT

So I've been slowly catching up on blogs and reacquainting myself with Google Reader and actually blogging again,,,

I happened to come across this photo on one of my favorite sites: Jezebel ... http://jezebel.com

Yikes!

Are people still messin' around with horses? Did we not learn to leave these horses alone from Tameeka Time's Trailer Friday Article on Zoo or the story of Rodell Verneen the repeat horse humper that was busted for having sex with a horse, while on probation for having sex with the same horse.

Come on! People do not promote horse sexin! I know t-shirts are cool but this is not! Try yiffing or something! Leave the horses alone!

Comfy!

tameekab@gmail.com (Tameeka Time) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 06:47:39 PDT

Happy Sleepy Monday!

I hope everyone had a great weekend.

Here's a great pic I took on a Manhattan bound F Train.

LOL! He looks very comfy with his inflatable pillow.. sometimes I wish I had one for the train ride into work.

The Most Uncomfortable Thing of The Week - October 3rd, 09

tameekab@gmail.com (Tameeka Time) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:36:58 PDT

Breast Bib
photo from Jezebel

Something about this is a lil weird and a lil uncomfortable.
Like there should be some space between myself and this lady right now.

Trailer Fridays - October 2nd, 2009

tameekab@gmail.com (Tameeka Time) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 01:39:00 PDT

The other day I watched "The Machine Girl" on Netflix.

I really enjoyed this Japanese Action movie. It was not meant to be a comedy but I fount myself laughing over and over at the ridiculous props that were used to kill people.

Here are my 3 Favorite Scenes from the movie.

The Tempura Arm - This really made me giggle. You should watch the movie just to see how Ami's arm gets fried.

Pin Head - This scene where a guy gets nails hammered into his head is quiet funny also. (One would imagine it to be gruesome but not at all).

Chainsaw chop - This scene wasn't as funny as it was silly. Asami is lethal with her chainsaw hand.

I recommend this movie if you like Japanese action or girls in uniforms kicking ass. It's fun to watch and you'll be sure to chuckle. It has been compared to Planet Terror but in my opinion it's a lil more fun and less sexy.

I read somewhere that there's a sequel to The Machine Girl called Shyness Machine Girl - I can't wait to check that one out!

In the mean time check out the trailer for The Machine Girl

Photo(s) of The Day - 10.01.09

tameekab@gmail.com (Tameeka Time) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:37:47 PDT

When I saw this all I could think was:
"No body puts baby in the corner."

*I was walking near west 29th street when I saw this manikin head in the corner of some one's store.

I wonder if it was left there on purpose? I'm used to seeing candles in front of stores for good luck and good fortune but never manikin heads.

Here's an even stranger manikin in the window of a Sleepy's store near the Empire State Building... why is this manikin naked covering itself with pillows?

Aren't manikins anatomical models of the human body used for teaching.

What happened there?

And as I write this blog post ,,, about manikins I start to remember of one of my favorite childhood toys the Barbie Styling Head.

I loved that toy,,, I always styled my barbie's head all kinds of ways. But looking at it now,, it is pretty strange for a pre-teen to be playing with just a dolls head.

Cool Guy...

tameekab@gmail.com (Tameeka Time) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 06:48:58 PDT

Happy Sleepy Monday All!

Here's a pic of a man having some sleepy time on a Manhattan bound 7 train.

Even though this man is knocked out w/ his legs all over the place and his mouth wide open,, he still manages to be a cool guy with his arms folded. And not once did he drop his bag. Pretty Impressive.

M.I.A.

tameekab@gmail.com (Tameeka Time) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:24:10 PDT

Hey all....

It's been awhile...

Tameeka Time has been M.I.A. (no not the singer) - Missing In Action.

All I can say is that "life happened" and I feel bad for abandoning my blog. My love.

So to start things out....

Happy Sleepy Monday!

Here's how I feel.... at the moment... but I will be back! Tameeka Time will be back!!

This was taken on an Manhattan bound A train, this lady sat right in front of me and fell asleep. She got up at her stop which was good....

Bars & Puppetry

tameekab@gmail.com (Tameeka Time) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 06:34:02 PDT

Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to attend a meet-up for hip, creative ladies at the High Bar... of course I got lost finding the place and my precious iphone did not want to locate anything but the place is pretty nice for a roof top lounge... their burgers were delicious as well as their corn.

The dj was pretty good, I remember hearing a few dance songs mixed with some salsa, good stuff.

As for the drinks, they were "okay",,,, or maybe it was just my bartender who made my margarita toooo salty,,, but all in all it was nice to catch up with writer extraordinaire Patrice (check out her blog,,, one of my faves: HellandHeartaches).

Here's a tiny lil video of what the High Bar looks like.

Sunday at the High Bar from Tameeka Time on Vimeo.

After eating the most delicious corn,,, I ran downtown to meet two girlie friends of mine; Kate and Kelly. And we saw Puppetry of the Penis...

Apparently the show has been around since the late 90's. I'd never heard or seen anything about it.

My friends and I got to see the last show for their New York tour (this year).

Here's my attempt to interview Kate and Kelly before the show :)

Before the Puppetry ... from Tameeka Time on Vimeo.

I was rather surprised that we actually got to see some man junk. I thought the show would be full of tricks and penis imagery. It was quite entertaining.

But, the best part of it all was convincing the main guys of the show to pick my friend Kate to go on stage and see the man junk up close. Here's a blurry pic of her with the guys.

I recommend this show to anyone (yes I recommend guys seeing the show also). The whole show is fully of humor and everyone "ooohh and ahhh'd" at least once. There was even audience penis participation. An older gentleman named "Jack" went up and did the Hamburger trick. The crowd went wild. Mostly out of shock.

I'd have to say it was a good Sunday.

Prevention

tameekab@gmail.com (Tameeka Time) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 06:54:21 PDT

Happy Monday All!

Here's photo #5 of The Sleepy Monday Series.

This photo was taken on an Manhattan bound A-train - the lady to the left kept falling asleep on whoever sat near her.

The woman on the right had the smart idea of putting her purse in between the two of them to prevent any touching or possible drool spillage.

Graffiti Tour Part 4

tameekab@gmail.com (Tameeka Time) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:38:54 PST

This past weekend I finally got around to finish editing Part 4 of Cortesnyc's Puerto Graffiti Tour. It's a 6 part series and I'm glad to present Part 4.
The music was produced and created by Cortes... check it out....

In this video he's painting in Ferreteria La 31 in Puerto Rico.
From the footage it looked like a successful event. It was also great to see Cortes signing tons of black books, cards, hats, whatever these kids threw at him.
It was like they were surrounding him trying to get his autograph.

Check him out...

Website: Cortescreates.com
Blog: Cortescreates.com/blackbook

Surfs Down!

tameekab@gmail.com (Tameeka Time) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 06:55:24 PDT

Happy Monday!

I hope everyone had a great weekend.

Here's the pic that I call "Surf's Down"

This guy fell asleep on the A train - coming from Far Rockaway - and I know he's getting that good sleep where you don't know where you are once you wake up....

I forgot

tameekab@gmail.com (Tameeka Time) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:39:21 PDT

I forgot how much I loved Kelis' song "Get Along with You"...... I love her hair, her make up and the dark heartbroken non-fairy tale Tim Burton Corpse Bride theme...

I can't wait until she comes out with her next album ... I've pretty much played out her 2006 album Kelis was here already

Learn how to Massage Your Cat

tameekab@gmail.com (Tameeka Time) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:21:26 PDT

This video is just silly. It's an instructional video on giving a proper cat massage. If you've owned a cat or had any contact with a cat you and I both can agree that there's but so much "massaging" a cat will let you get away with. After you watch it check out my comments below...

Why does this lady keep switching back and forth from her real cat and her stuffed tiger?
At 1:14-1:18 did she just say that the cat might shuffle her out of the door? huh?
LOL @ her "drooler" joke (1:43)... that was funny
Personally I am a fan of the "breast stroke" and "belly-rama"
Is the cat high? Did she drug it?

Ah... so many unanswered questions....

Rockin' with the Best

tameekab@gmail.com (Tameeka Time) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:24:37 PDT

For the past year I've had the pleasure of dancing to mixes made by DJ T-wrexx Monsta.

But this new remix he produced is off the chain... plus I'm shocked that McLyte is back...

This dope dj reps' Queens/Brooklyn/The "305" and Boston he's also the producer of The Pagan Society, an underground movement......Check out their myspace page T-wreXX Monsta,,, they've got other sick songs that I recommend you check out and get your dance on to.

Check it!

Make your booty wink!

tameekab@gmail.com (Tameeka Time) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:41:47 PDT

Have you ever wanted to make your booty wink or just wondered what it would be like to have eyes on the back of your pants... well now you can with "Winkers"

Here's the contact info for customized pants....

And if anyone cares about Tameeka Time they would order me the Slate/Clap Board for my birthday!