Vixen Chronicles

-by Male guest blogger OK, so I was teaching my kids how to download songs and do the digital music things using Napster. For grins, I started searching for songs I enjoyed when I was a teen.....yeah, I went WAY back to the birth of commecial hip-hop. I pulled down music like Planet Rock, White Lines, Cool (by The Time), Gas Face, Roxanne/Roxanne, and several others. I reminisced with artists like Kool Mo Dee, Dana Dane, Big Daddy Kane, EPMD, BDP, Eric B. & Rakim, etc. Now as I did this, I shared memories about being a DJ when I was in high school when rap was this cool new thing, and cuttin' and scratchin' was "the thing". Now my boys were all born after 1990, so I know the only record player they have seen was in a museum and they honestly thought that Patrice Rushen was singing the Will Smith song rather than Will Smith sampling the original "Send Me Forget Me Nots". They think about Motown music historically because of stuff they have been taught in ...

Join me and my Friends at the M.E.N.K. & Pearls Getaway Retreat Meld compassion with intellect Erase fear with faith Never confuse pride with power Know love will never fail April 21-23 Galveston, Texas Moody Gardens Hotel & Conference Center Early Registration Fee: $199 Rooms: $149 per night (dbl occupancy) It’s time to discover just how Fantastik you really are. Please join bestselling authors, Lori Bryant-Woolridge, Nina Foxx, Carmen Green and guest, ReShonda Tate Billingsley , as we embrace the M.E.N.K. mentality during a relaxing weekend of female bonding and Fantastik fun. From meditative walks to thought-provoking workshops to our smashing Goddess dinner, we've got your mind, body and soul covered. We’ll talk, we’ll laugh. We might even shed a tear or two. But when we leave, we’ll do so even more Fantastik than when we arrived! Pearls of Wisdom Workshops include: * Sensual Woman, Sexy Mama * Living Your Life ...

This is the time of year for mistletoe and Christmas Trees, Christamukkah candles and Black cake. (Not cake for black people, but West Indian Black cake made with fruit that has been soaking in rum or brandy for a hella long time). And for me, its also the time of year for approving changes on copyedited manuscripts. I always seem to get mine back around the end of the year. This is the point in the process by which a manuscript becomes a book where an editor corrects typos and grammatical errors and asks the writer to clarify what they don't understand. A few times this year I found myself laughing out loud at the copyeditor's queries. I realized that just because a person lives in a major metropolis such as such as New York, it does not guarantee that they will always understand the urban lingo or even venture outside of their homes to mix with the local folk. Or maybe understanding the lingo is like dancing to popular music. Once you reach a certain age that hip gene just tu...

Secret Blog-Man had a few words to ponder about maleness. Your remember him, he blogged about metrosexuality. Maleness. Lately I've been fascinated with maleness. Actually that's a lie, what I've actually been fascinated with is Madison Avenue's fascination with maleness and what it means to women, men and most importantly advertisers. Now I do get pulled into it, seduced by the magic of a well-crafted message of a well-targeted luxury/high end product that is made just for a guy like me (or maybe the guy I aspire to be some day when I've arrived). My interest was renewed when Men's Vogue came out a few months ago, and it has recently been sparked again by an article I read (http://www.askmen.com/fashion/austin_100/145_fashion_style.html" based off a new book (The Future of Men). It amuses me that in one breath men #1 have everything, #2 rule the world, and #3 yet we are also #4) insensitive and aloof, #5) unstylish and out of shape and #6) dispassionat...

A good friend of mine is producing a Christmas Cantata for a large church where he lives. It's the type that is full of actors and animals and resounding music, a lavish production. I called him on the set earlier this week to see how it was going. Usually a happy person, he sounded more reserved than I ever remember him being. "How's it going?" "Um. Okay. " I could almost hear him rubbing his forehead through the phone. "Its been a long day." "Really? You love this stuff. Is everything okay?" He sighed heavily. "Well, it'll work out. I'm just having a problem with one of the actors." I laughed. "Is he union?" "Nope." "Then I don't see what the problem is. Fire him. It can't be too hard to find another Angel or King of Orient or whatever." He laughed now. "Hold on." I heard yelling in the background. "AHHHH!" "What happened? I didn't mean now. ...

The holidays brings out the interesting in a lot of people. You learn who gets depressed during the holidays and who turns into a holiday zealot full of enthusiasm for all things merry. You also learn who is vicious in the event of a shortage of something they really want. Personally, I try to do all of my shopping on the phone or online. I am a professional shopper, I must admit, but I hate holiday crowds. Still, a kid who still believes in Santa Claus will bring out the mission shopper in all of us, even me. You see, elves can make anything, so there are no shortages at the North Pole, even if it is a hot item like an I-dog. Those damn things were sold out everywhere, and I-dog clothing? Forgeddaboutit until FEBRUARY. I was asked repeatedly, "Are you sure you paid enough into the Elf Security Fund this year so that Santa will bring the top five things on my list?" (I believe in politically correct fantasies. "Yes, dear, fat butt Santa slides down that little chimney an...

Femme Fantastik Tour Says Good-bye to Three Great Authors As with everything in this world, both great and small, change must come. The Femme Fantastik Tour is saying good-bye to three wonderful authors--Victoria Christopher Murray, Marissa Monteilh and Jacquelin Thomas. We want to extend to them our warmest and most sincere "thank you" for making the inaugural year of the Femme Fantastik Tour such an amazing one. They have been consummate professionals and better yet, supportive friends and colleagues. We all had a great deal of fun together his past year and we wish them all the best in the future and know our paths will cross again. We hope, as the Tour moves forward, you will continue to support these truly gifted writers. You've been hearing from the Femme Fantastik Tour about our upcoming events in 2006--our M.E.N.K. & Pearls Getaway Retreat in the spring and Femme U Writers Workshops in the fall, please be aware that Victor...