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Week Enders | 26May17

Well, that happened….
I’m not going to find joy in that hand-swatting video. I’m not going to find joy in that hand-swatting video. I’m not going to find joy in that hand-swatting video. I’m not going to find joy in that hand-swatting video. I’m not going to find joy in that hand-swatting video. I’m not going to find joy in that hand-swatting video. I’m not going to find joy in that hand-swatting video. I’m not going to find joy in that hand-swatting video.

.beauty.
During my wanders, The Sun has been shrugging, “and,” at my natural spf. Like, I can feel my chest sizzle. It hurts. I’ve, kinda, been forgetting to cover or cover well-enough. I, usually, whine, in my head or out loud, that I don’t like the white cast from most sunscreen creams and lotions. Glossier just launched, Invisible Shield, a clear spf. I’m drawn to it, well, because, I’m all obvious. I’m not drawn to the $34 price tag or that it’s only spf 35. I think I’m just looking for reasons to not. So, for now, I’ll stick to my Neutrogena. It’s water-resistant and spf 55. It’s a goes on a little white, but that doesn’t last.

.heard. + .read.

Really want to read Lizzy Goodman’s Meet Me in The Bathroom. It’s an oral history of NYC’s rock scene in the aughts. Can’t decide if I’m going to Kindle or paper it?  Here’s a Stroke’s excerpt from New York Magazine.

.seen.

My First Bond…
Roger Moore passed away this week. He was and will always be my first.

This, here.
I don’t watch any of The Bachelor/ette shows. I have, i think. Years ago. An episode, here or there. I only thought of watching last season because of Roxane Gay’s tweets. She makes it so interesting. Then, you know, I watched an ep and nah. So, when they announced THE FIRST BLACK BACHELORETTE, I thought I might. Then, I saw the guys and read a bit of their bios. So, nah. Then, I caught a few of Bim’s tweets  and almost watched the premiere live. Then, I watched other things. I woke up to commentary from Roxane, Vulture’s Ali Barthwell and Jenna, The God/dess. I’ll definitely catch up over the long weekend.

I. CAN’T. BREATHE.
GoT. July, girl. Where you at?

This weekend, I might be:

+ hanging with family.
+ pondering hotel rooms in the suburbs.
+ thinking about my granddad who drove a tank in WWII.

Happy Memorial Day Wknd!

What are you up to?

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Week Enders | 7April17

Well, that happened…
It took two whole days to watch the six ep, season 2 of Chewing Gum. I kinda paced myself and I’m proud. I’d been so eager to see it, I watched a couple of episodes on my phone, before I even got home. (Netflix)

Like, SRSLY.
Tank and The Bangas got me fucked up.  I cried for the entirety of this Tiny Desk concert.

If you don’t have Logo…
Strike A Pose, the doc about the lives of the dancers from Madonna’s Blond Ambition tour and documentary, Madonna:Truth or Dare, twenty-five years later, premiered recently on Logo. If you LOVED Truth or Dare, like I did, it’s on Netflix, too.

The Smell of Spring at Sephora.
I’m throwing things in my cart waiting for the spring sale. I’ve got a bit of skincare, another wash for the body and makeup. I try to restock, buy something new and pick up something I’ve been holding off on. Not sure if I’m getting everything in the cart, because even with the discount, I tend to be a bit spendy.

That New Collab
Have clothes ever made you want to have kids? Ugghhh, the Victoria Beckham for Target collection launches this weekend and I’m having feelings. The little girl’s bunny outfit is beyond adorable.

This weekend, I might be:
+ binge watching 13 reasons why.
+ falling down a Madonna music video rabbit hole.
+ wishing sunday was saturday.

What are you up to?

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Week Enders | 25March17

Well, that happened…
I’m on a staycation and I’m not sure where the week went. And I don’t want it to end.

Just Beauty…
I haven’t picked up a copy of Allure in years. The last time I’d looked at the website, it was a jumbled mess. The April ’17 issue caught my eye as I was getting in line at the drugstore. Three beautiful women of varying shades of brown. The Beauty of Diversity headline. I didn’t have time to flip through it before I got to the register. So, I bought it. I loved reading the variety of voices of women of color.  I appreciated seeing WoC throughout the issue, but is it just for this month or is the new way things are done?

ICYMI
Shots Fired. Fox. Set in small-town North Carolina, Shots Fired opens with the investigation of the killing of an unarmed white motorist by a black police officer. The 10-episode limited series, created by Gina Prince-Bythewood and Reggie Rock Bythewood, stars Sanaa Lathan as a DoJ investigator. When I first heard about the show, I was skeptical. I didn’t want it to minimize what Black folks go through, just to get white people to try to understand it, because the victim looks like them. But, after watching the first episode, seeing what it is and is building up to be, I’m in.

Louie. I never really watched Louis CK’s Louie. When I was writing about Susan Kelechi Watson from This Is Us a few weeks ago, I looked at Claire 2.0’s IMDB page.  I saw Louie, but it didn’t really cross my mind to see what role she played and watch a few clips. Then, I read her anecdote in the new issue of Allure. She talked about how she was cast to play Louie’s ex-wife.  From the few episodes I’d seen, his kids were played by two young white actresses. I was just as confused and intrigued as she was. I’m venturing back into Louie-land, just to see Susan.

Run The Jewels.  The first official video off of RTJ3 for “Legend Has It” is out. Killer Mike and EL-P performed “Legend Has It” on Fallon last week.  And they did a fucking Tiny Desk Concert last month.  Lord, NPR.  I love you.  Here’s a long conversation with Ebro an ‘nem on Hot 97.

Legend Has It

NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert

Pitchfork Live in NYC 1March17

Drake.  His More Life “playlist” dropped last week. It’s been on #ObsessiveRepeat ever since.

Rupaul’s Drag Race moved from Logo to VH1.  It’s like VH1 and Logo are co-parenting.  Eps premiere with a bang over on VH1, then come back home to Logo.  The new season kicked off with, hello, LADY GAGA as guest judge/major inspiration.

This weekend, I might be:
+ watching a LOT of Bravo.
+ thinking about staring at the ocean.
+ buying ingredients for my first attempt at faux nashville-hot chicken.

What are you up to?

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Week Enders | 11March17

Well, that happened…
Last week, I wrote about needing to find ways to more deeply connect to my body.  To feel and deal better with frustration and anxiety.  Well, I started somewhere.  Breathed a little heavy.  I looked for workouts on YouTube and started living the Nike+ Training app life.  I took the stairs at work.  Mostly down only, but, still, that is, again, a start.  I’ve been doing the wander, too.  I’ve been thinking about new routes in the hood and I’m working on wander playlists.  Glad I started somewhere.  I just need to keep going.  Is it weird to want to do a push up?

Wait, it was there all along?
I resisted some serious pull last week.  Glossier launched blushes.  Wayne Goss released an updated makeup brush set.  Sephora was even tempting folks with La Mer deluxe samples.  I didn’t buy any of it.  Not saying something GossyGlossi won’t come my way in the future, just not near.  I think my discipline was rewarded.  I randomly used the Tom Ford Cream and Powder Eye Color in Golden Peach from last year’s Soleil Summer Collection that was just sitting in the shadow drawer.  Ummm… Hello, Pretty.  So, so sorry you’ve been ignored.  That won’t happen again.  It’s still available and there are new shadow shades for 2017 that I won’t be getting, because Naked Bronze and Golden Peach are already owned and everything.   https://www.beautylish.com/s/tom-ford-beauty-cream-and-powder-eye-color-golden-peach

Logan.
So damn good.  A tear might have even fallen.  Is it wrong to want to climb the bad guys to kick their friends in the face?  If you’re a Marvel fan or long for a superhero film worthy of all the exclamation points, go see Logan while it’s on the biggest of screens.  See buffed Hugh Jackman in a tee as a Wolverine for the last time.  If you want a film full of action and a well-told story, but can’t make it to the theater, definitely get it on demand.  If catching it on cable is more your speed, it will be worth every minute spent.

This Really Is Us
I don’t understand how you guys do it.  How can you sit down and watch this every week?  I want to call the show emotionally manipulative trash, but This Is Us is just great TV.  It’s messy and life-y, all love and loss. Complicated and so normal.  Well-written and acted.  And I can’t handle it.  I have to watch in mini binges.  It’s easier to cry 2 out of 4 hours, than to know every single week, I could have my heart broken.  I caught up to the Memphis episode last weekend and was a mess.  Well, except for when I said Paper Boi five times after seeing Brian Tyree Henry.  I don’t know why I thought I had recovered enough to watch this week’s episode in real-ish time, breaking from my emotionally-supportive pattern.  Seriously, they had those beautiful little girls put their tiny hands in my chest and rip my heart to shreds.  Even, the mailman had me fucked up.  Ugh.

For the record and later discussion: Susan Kelechi Watson as Beth is the new Claire Huxtable.

All the cool kids are in Austin.
SXSW started. The music kicks off later in the week.  NPR has a preview mix.  Spotify has a SXSW Latino playlist of bands that will be at the festival.  And The Fader will be streaming live from The Fader Fort.

This weekend, I might be:
+ washing my hair.
+ doing an african dance workout.
+ wandering.

What are you up to?

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week enders | 3march17

Well, that happened…
Bill Paxton died way too fucking soon.   Moonlight won Best MOTHERFUCKING Picture!   And I was longing for Friday on Sunday afternoon.  That’s not a good way to live.

Nothing to see here.
I’m not buying anything.  Really.  I’m taking inventory.  I don’t even know what I have.  Until I do, I’m not buying anything I don’t need.

If I feel the urge, I’ll shop the stash.  I remember the Christmas that I took a dictionary from my brother’s room, wrapped it and gave it to myself.  I can get joy from things I already own.  And yes, the last sentence doesn’t really work, having read the sentence that preceded it.  You’d just have to be LittleMe or have questionable boundaries, which may actually be the same thing.

I’ve had a shitty week.  Work sucks.  The world sucks.  And I’m not handling it well.

Nothing’s working.

“Bad” food doesn’t taste good enough.  It can’t cause heartburn and be disappointing.
The spending high doesn’t last.  I just have more stuff and nowhere to put it.
The wine isn’t working.  The bottle is empty, the calories count and I’m not all that tipsy.
I’m not seeing anyone.  So, the intimacy intramurals are cancelled.
I don’t need a weed habit, legal or kinda.

I need figure my way out of this.  I need ways to get through the anxiety and frustration.

I know connecting deeply with my body will help.

First inclination, though, is to spend!  Join a gym.  Buy new outfits.  Buy weights and other exercise-y things.

Guess what.  I have things.  I’ve got mats and weights and balls.  At home.  What I really need, is to be active.  I need to do things.  I need to swim and wander and breathe and sweat.  A lot.  Every day.

So that I don’t get caught up in the planning of, instead of the actual doing of,  I’m just going to start somewhere.  Then, see how it goes.

These Three: 
Moonlight.  The script.  The greatness, is on the page.
I saw Get Out.  It’s WILD.  Def more thriller than horror.  See it.
Prepping for more posts.  Not sure if beauty or food will be first.  What would you like to see?

Rufus&Clem Week Enders Playlist on Spotify
Putting together some mood music for the resistance.  Be it to hold joy or for relative calm or just a soundtrack to badass-ery.


This weekend, I might be:
+ going to see Moonlight with a friend who’s been out of the country. He’s excused from the sideeye. I got the note from his mom.
+ going to the beach.  I want to hear the waves.
+ looking for music to share.

What are you up to?

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week enders | 24feb17

Well, that happened…
My momma came to LA.  I don’t think I ever been so grateful for a layover.  She was on her way home from the other side of the world.  We chatted.  She showed me pictures.  I stared at her.  Her skin, still a cool brown, but interestingly not as deep as I remember.  Her bracelets, silver rope replacing years of trade beads.  I took in her energy, for the first time, in my LA space.  It was so cool.

I don’t see her enough.

Changing that.

Wait. WHAT?!!! Prince is on Spotify?
I’m giggly+screechy!  No.  Really, just screechy.  All this Prince in one place.  Go check your streaming palace of choice.  Is he there?
(The picture above is a chopped and screwed snap from Purple Rain at Hollywood Forever last summer. )

Same problem. Different choices.
I’m bought a record player.  This one.  Not the one I planned, but it’ll do while I save for the other one.  I know what you’re thinking, hell, I know what I’m thinking and I’m okay with that.

Game Over, Man.  Game Over.
I’ve been watching the reboot of Training Day on CBS.  The ghost of Denzel’s Alonzo looms large, talking madddd shit.  Bill Paxton’s Detective Frank Rourke is more average antihero than engaging villain, which feels a bit worn at this point.  I wish he was an asshole, otherwise it’s just a cranky cop vs. earnest cop anti-buddy cop show.  I already watch cranky cop who might be doing bad things to get the bad guys on NBC.  I don’t know if there’s room for another that doesn’t stand out.  Look, I love Bill Paxton. Have since I was a kid.  He gives good asshole.  So, I might keep watching.  Hoping for it.  The other problem is that because Rourke is likable, Jason Cornwell’s Detective Kyle Craig ends up being a bit of an annoying killjoy.  The show is familiar and watchable.  It bats third show/emptied bottle of wine in the daily decompression lineup.  It’s kinda just on.

Moonlight, FTW.
The Academy Awards are this weekend.  That means two things: I can’t go to my Sephora at Hollywood & Highland and I will be in my feelings with whatever happens for the amazingly talented cast and crew of Moonlight.  I’ll see La La Land when they release the Hamilton DVD with the original cast.  Just saying.

Cause it’s supposed to always be sunny and hasn’t been, I think I might be doing these things:
+ going to see Get Out.
+ stopping by my local where my favorite librarian is putting on event about racism.
+ not talking about incense making cause I’ve not done it, but need to.
+ taking pictures of things.

What are you up to?

 

 

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Week Ender | 11Feb17

TWK | Credentials

Well, that happened…
Saw I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO the other night.  I thought I would be even more upset at the state of the current world, looking back.  The doc was powerful and moving.  For me, it was a reminder of our resilience in the face of hatred, oppression and death.  Instead of being emotionally triggered, I’m more focused on the life I need to lead and the world we need to not recreate.  Def check it out.

Shopping Carts, now emptied.
The new Laura Mercier Medium Deep Translucent Setting Powder. Yes, I’m late getting the Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette. Charlotte Tilbury limited edition Pillow Talk lipstick.

Moratorium on pinky/mauve-y nude/neutral lip purchases is now in FULL EFFECT!  There needs to be a shopping ban, in general, but, you know, I’m not sure I see it happening.  Must visualize.  Si Se Pu… Okay. Okay.

The Binge
Girls. With the sixth and final season kicking off on Sunday, I am heading down that rabbit hole, willfully.  Watching all of It, again.  I’ve got plenty of feelings when it comes to Hannah Horvath and her crew.  Like, lots.  I’ve loved and hated the show, viscerally.  And with that, toss in a mix of pursed lip, hard side-eyeing white privilege and NYC in-my-20s nostalgia and it just gets complicated.  I’m really interested to see if I react differently to the earlier seasons. I’ll let you know next week.

My internet obsession, NYT’s Jenna Wortham, talked to Lena, Allison, Zosia and Jemima.  Part of the conversation is on my fave podcast, Still Processing. (more about my weekly appt with Wesley and Jenna, later.)

 
And the WINNER is…
The NAACP Image Awards are Saturday. The Grammys are Sunday.

I haven’t worked a red carpet or one-on-one room in YEARS.  I don’t even think I’ve watched The Grammys that much in the last 10, but I do know that I really, really, need AMAZEBALLS tributes to Prince and George Michael. Like, srsly.

And I’m going to need black folks to give Moonlight lots of things. Like, SRSLY.

Things I’m trying this weekend: rain come down edition.
+ spend time with wayne shorter. a friend thought i would dig native dancer.
+ re-reading baldwin.
+ yoga. with solange or bon iver
+ incense. make some or burn some or both.

How are you spending your weekend?

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On Obsessive Repeat | Killer Mike + El-P

i just can’t stop.

I decided to make a new space for hip-hop.  I was lucky enough to quickly fill it with intelligence, wit and dense beats.  Both records have been on repeat since their release.

Videos: El-P “The Full Retard“| Killer Mike “Big Beast” f/Bun B, T.I., Trouble & El-P

WAIT! The videos are MUCH and so NSFW and kind of amazing.  There might be some references to a Ryan Gosling film, simulated acts on a puppet, nudity and body parts.  Okay, so there will be those things.  Just saying.

Killer Mike + El-P are in LA tonight.  And on the road with Mr. MFin eXquire and Despot until the middle of July.  And there’s an “Into The Wild Tour Mixtape” too.

n♥

 

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On(Obsessive)Repeat | Play It Again, 2011

i like the music…

To be honest, I don’t really remember what new albums I listened to before June.  That’s when my world seemed to start spinning out of control and I felt comforted by the Bon Iver record, seen by the Shabazz Palaces record and made to move by the TVOTR.

Since then, I’ve made a point to pay attention to what I put on repeat, obsessively.  Anyone who’s ever shared an office or workspace with me knows the over and over is nothing new.  This year, though, I felt like I made a better connection to the visceral reaction.  I appreciated and understood the physical and emotional without overly intellectualizing it.  I learned to cherish and revel in it, actually.  I’m not on a release schedule or synced up to a critics poll. I’m connecting to a piece of art or I’m not or I know that it’s a later situation.

These are albums I played like crazy cause they touched me deep, made me cup my headphones tightly against my ears, fed a want and need for a lyric and a beat.  They made and make me happy.  I think the coolest way for me to say goodbye and thank you to 2011 is to plug in the headphones and press play.

n♥

Van Hunt – What Were You Hoping For?
St. Vincent – Strange Mercy
Bon Iver – Bon Iver
TV on the Radio – Nine Types of Light
Shabazz Palaces – Black Up

Van Hunt

St. Vincent

Bon Iver

TV On The Radio

Shabazz Palaces