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<!--Generated by Squarespace Site Server v5.9.2 (http://www.squarespace.com/) on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:33:48 GMT--><feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"><title>Belle</title><subtitle>Belle</subtitle><id>http://www.abelleinbrooklyn.com/home/</id><link rel="alternate" type="application/xhtml+xml" href="http://www.abelleinbrooklyn.com/home/"/><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.abelleinbrooklyn.com/home/atom.xml"/><updated>2010-03-11T17:41:39Z</updated><generator uri="http://www.squarespace.com/" version="Squarespace Site Server v5.9.2 (http://www.squarespace.com/)">Squarespace</generator><entry><title>Sex in Your 70s</title><id>http://www.abelleinbrooklyn.com/home/2010/3/11/sex-in-your-70s.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.abelleinbrooklyn.com/home/2010/3/11/sex-in-your-70s.html"/><author><name>Belle</name></author><published>2010-03-11T17:34:31Z</published><updated>2010-03-11T17:34:31Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[<p>I refuse to talk about the 50% of Black Women have herpes idea, mostly because we discussed it in detail last June and also because I just updated that to talk about for The Magazine. <a href="http://www.essence.com/lifestyle/health/herpes_status.php">Click Here.</a> &nbsp;</p>
<p>Anyway. I was tinkering around on Bloomberg News (via Gawker) &nbsp;and came across this neat little tidbit about grandparents getting it in. Yes, Nana and Pop Pop get it on.</p>
<p>The average person&rsquo;s sex life ends by the age of 70, according to a report published today in the&nbsp;<a onmouseover="return escape( popwOpenWebSite( this ))" href="http://www.bmj.com/cgi/doi/10.1136/bmj.c810" target="_blank">British Medical Journal</a>.</p>
<p>Men age 30 have an average of 35 years of sexually active life remaining, compared with 31 years for women, researchers at the&nbsp;<a onmouseover="return escape( popwOpenWebSite( this ))" href="http://www.uchicago.edu/" target="_blank">University of Chicago</a>&rsquo;s department of obstetrics and gynecology estimated after reviewing a survey of 3,000 people. A separate survey of older people showed that by 55, men have an average sexual life expectancy of 15 years and women can expect 10 more years, the researchers found.</p>]]></summary></entry><entry><title>April 2010 ESSENCE: "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"</title><id>http://www.abelleinbrooklyn.com/home/2010/3/9/april-2010-essence-girls-just-want-to-have-fun.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.abelleinbrooklyn.com/home/2010/3/9/april-2010-essence-girls-just-want-to-have-fun.html"/><author><name>Belle</name></author><published>2010-03-09T23:39:34Z</published><updated>2010-03-09T23:39:34Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[<p>My latest ESSENCE column is ON STANDS now! Check out "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" in the April 2010 ESSENCE (p.102)</p>
<p><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span>&nbsp;</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.abelleinbrooklyn.com/storage/April 2010 DEMI Column .png?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1268178161111" alt="" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>]]></summary></entry><entry><title>"I Am Malcolm X"</title><id>http://www.abelleinbrooklyn.com/home/2010/3/4/i-am-malcolm-x.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.abelleinbrooklyn.com/home/2010/3/4/i-am-malcolm-x.html"/><author><name>Belle</name></author><published>2010-03-05T04:38:45Z</published><updated>2010-03-05T04:38:45Z</updated><content type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[<p>I've been borderline re-obsessed with Malcolm X since we got into a debate about him in the comments in the post about owning Blackness.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Happened to be watching <em>Ali </em>earlier tonight and choked up, as I always do, when he's killed.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Just so happens that the 45th anniversary of his passing came and went recently.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Hmm..&nbsp;</p>
<p>You think there will ever be another Malcolm X? And by "another" I mean someone with the impact.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>For all of you who feel it the way I do....&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uXi7FNnjQQk&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uXi7FNnjQQk&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Oh, and I found this obscure clip from 1981 with Morgan Freeman playing Malcolm X. Post- assassination has the Ossie Davis reading too. Who knew?&nbsp;Click <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaaiJSDW5Vs">Here&nbsp;</a></p>]]></content></entry><entry><title>Untitled</title><id>http://www.abelleinbrooklyn.com/home/2010/3/2/untitled.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.abelleinbrooklyn.com/home/2010/3/2/untitled.html"/><author><name>Belle</name></author><published>2010-03-02T16:57:58Z</published><updated>2010-03-02T16:57:58Z</updated><content type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[<p>I'm not writing on Belle today. Did my first red carpet last night, then hung out with my borough. That and I'm getting killed at work with deadlines.</p>
<p>Sorry.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Anyway.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Not to harp on yesterday's topic, but Michele over at <a href="http://www.blacknbougie.com/">blacknbougie.com</a>&nbsp;nailed a post about being fed up with the conversation about Single and Lonely Black Women.&nbsp;</p>
<p>She wrote:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I get it. I really do. Bashing or even borderline bruising black women is what hot in da streetz. By bashing I mean telling us why we ain't nothing, ain't gonna have nothing, ain't gonna have nobody to share nothing with. Sure, it gets you book deals and blog views and radio shows and talk shows and photo ops and movie deals and basically&hellip; paid. I get it. You found a hu$tle that works and you only have to kick a group of people that are already down to do it.</p>
<p>Oh, you think you're being helpful offering up your "self-help" and "how-to" and "best way" opinions to us? Even those of you that are not directly authoring the yada-yada, do you really think you're helping by adding in your "tsk-tsk" or "co-sign" two cents response to the media swirl about all the problems with the sisterhood? You're not. You are adding to the already cacophonous wall of noise. I respectfully request that right after commenting on this post&hellip; everyone just shut up. I am talking to celebs and so-called relationship gurus, writers, columnists, bloggers, regular folks talking in the coffee shop, women and men, young and old, black, white and everything in between&hellip; just STOP.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Even though I'm totally included in the "so-called relationship gurus, writers, columnists, bloggers," I don't knock good writing or a good point when one is made and even occasionally, I get sick of the topic. (Try standing on a red carpet answering the same question 10 diff ways while remembering to smile, keep your eye on the interviewer, &nbsp;not say "uhh" &nbsp;or curse, and dodge trick questions all while a mega watt light is in your face and a camera that you can't look at it is a foot from your nose.*)&nbsp;</p>
<p>Without naming names, Michele goes off in about another 1000 words about what we can all do with our constant speculation about the Black woman's single status.&nbsp;</p>
<p>It's borderline brilliant. (But I'll still be talking about relationships. Sorry.)&nbsp;</p>
<p>Take a read <a href="http://www.blacknbougie.com/2010/03/stop-telling-me-how-i-think-what-to-do.html">HERE</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&mdash; B.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 80%;">*I am beyond grateful for the love, but that ish is creepy and exhausting.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>]]></content></entry><entry><title>Good Black Men Exist</title><id>http://www.abelleinbrooklyn.com/home/2010/3/1/good-black-men-exist.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.abelleinbrooklyn.com/home/2010/3/1/good-black-men-exist.html"/><author><name>Belle</name></author><published>2010-03-01T15:56:13Z</published><updated>2010-03-01T15:56:13Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[<p>It was only a matter of time before this happened.&nbsp;</p>
<p>If you've been staying up on your Black Women Will Die Alone news, then you know that The Washington Post ran yet another story&mdash; front page this time&mdash; about how all Black women will.... well, die alone if they don't start dating White men.&nbsp;</p>
<p>An excerpt from "Single Black women being urged to date outside their race" (yes, that is the real title):</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Single black women with college degrees outnumber single black men with college degrees almost 3 to 1 in major urban areas such as Washington, according to a 2008 population survey by the U.S. Census Bureau. Given those numbers, any economist would advise them to start looking elsewhere.</p>
<p>It's Econ 101 for the single, educated black woman.</p>
</blockquote>]]></summary></entry><entry><title>Random Thoughts: Do We Own Blackness?</title><id>http://www.abelleinbrooklyn.com/home/2010/2/25/random-thoughts-do-we-own-blackness.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.abelleinbrooklyn.com/home/2010/2/25/random-thoughts-do-we-own-blackness.html"/><author><name>Belle</name></author><published>2010-02-25T16:49:56Z</published><updated>2010-02-25T16:49:56Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[<p>Do Black people own Blackness?*</p>
<p>It&rsquo;s a question I asked myself after hearing Zeta Tau Alpha won The Sprite Step Off last weekend. Seems a few people were up in arms that a white sorority took first place, and more importantly, the 100K grand prize.</p>
<p>I watched the footage of ZTA and a couple others that competed before I made a conclusion.</p>
<p>My thoughts? The white girls nailed it. I haven&rsquo;t been to a step show since undergrad so I have no clue whether the Matrix routine, or hoisting a chick up on a board and having her step in the air is par for the course these days But as a former cheerleader, I can tell you that their routine was beyond precise and it was beyond solid. It wasn&rsquo;t good because they were white chicks nailing a Black art form. It was good because it was&hellip; well, good. &nbsp;And dare, I say better than the others.</p>]]></summary></entry><entry><title>Weight-y Matters?</title><id>http://www.abelleinbrooklyn.com/home/2010/2/24/weight-y-matters.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.abelleinbrooklyn.com/home/2010/2/24/weight-y-matters.html"/><author><name>Belle</name></author><published>2010-02-24T16:10:05Z</published><updated>2010-02-24T16:10:05Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[<p>I&rsquo;ve been wondering for awhile if the collective weight of Black women is affecting our ability to pair off. And by weight, I mean the numbers on the scale, not our emotional baggage, although for some of us, that is heavy too.</p>
<p>I can&rsquo;t help but notice that in near every rundown of what it is that Black men are looking for in a Black woman, weight inevitably sneaks on the list usually in the form of she &ldquo;works out&rdquo; or &ldquo;stays fit&rdquo; or &ldquo;is concerned about her health or personal appearance&rdquo; ie, she&rsquo;s not fat. (Although &ldquo;thick&rdquo; in the right places doesn&rsquo;t seem to be a concern.)</p>
<p>Some men, like an Essence.com commenter on a story I wrote last week, just made it plain:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>There are very few successful fit black women available. People talk about this high ratio of single black men to women but it is a myth. If you exclude fat women it is 1 to 1.</p>
</blockquote>]]></summary></entry><entry><title>Belle "Real Talk" Interview</title><id>http://www.abelleinbrooklyn.com/home/2010/2/23/belle-real-talk-interview.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.abelleinbrooklyn.com/home/2010/2/23/belle-real-talk-interview.html"/><author><name>Belle</name></author><published>2010-02-23T16:16:59Z</published><updated>2010-02-23T16:16:59Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[<p>Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of visiting Deja Vu at Power 105. She's like, the bestest. I think I'm getting better at radio interviews. (Anybody remember that painful time when I did The Brian McKnight Show and my voice cracked all the way through?) Actually, I forget the mic is there now. This is very good. And very bad (just listen. I am sooo random.) Lol! Click an image below to hear me appalled by people who rent Louis Vuittons (I'm such a snob), the Jump Off edition of Cribs, and why I haven't tried to online dating (because men are everywhere.)&nbsp;</p>
<p>Dying to know what you think.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&mdash; B.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>]]></summary></entry><entry><title>I'm Sayin' She's A Golddigger</title><id>http://www.abelleinbrooklyn.com/home/2010/2/20/im-sayin-shes-a-golddigger.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.abelleinbrooklyn.com/home/2010/2/20/im-sayin-shes-a-golddigger.html"/><author><name>Belle</name></author><published>2010-02-20T18:53:29Z</published><updated>2010-02-20T18:53:29Z</updated><content type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[<p>This video kinda broke my heart a little bit. I'll be back with commentary later. But I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE you to watch it for the segment on the kids talking about money. Some really disturbing ish.&nbsp;</p>
<p>I'll admit: Parts of it stung. You know what that means.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>More later.&nbsp;</p>
<p>In the meantime...&nbsp;</p>
<p>Discuss.&nbsp;</p>]]></content></entry><entry><title>Dear Angry and Bitter Black Women,</title><id>http://www.abelleinbrooklyn.com/home/2010/2/18/dear-angry-and-bitter-black-women.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.abelleinbrooklyn.com/home/2010/2/18/dear-angry-and-bitter-black-women.html"/><author><name>Belle</name></author><published>2010-02-18T15:38:28Z</published><updated>2010-02-18T15:38:28Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[<p><span style="color: black;"><em>This is an open letter to angry and bitter Black Women. Please note, I do not think all Black women are angry or bitter, nor do I think Black women are responsible for solving the Black relationship crisis. However, this site's readership is primarily female and I recognize that it's easier to change ourselves than change others. </em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: black;"><em>So with that in mind...</em></span></p>]]></summary></entry></feed>