Saturday Open Thread

Posted on December 30, 2017 by rikyrah

I thought that these pictures were absolutely stunning.

Baroque-Inspired Portraits Of Black Girls Highlight Their Amazing Natural Hair So Other Girls Would Stop Hiding It

We are all full of natural beauty, we just need to bring it out. Regis and Kahran, a husband and wife team behind CreativeSoul did just that, only for young black ladies. Focusing on their hair, the duo created Afro Art, a series of gorgeous portraits that has cast a spell on everyone’s eyes.

The stunning photos feature girls in elaborate costuming and hairstyles, from the Baroque period (roughly, 1600-1750) to steampunk clothing and fierce high-fashion ensembles. “We feel that it is so important for kids of color to be able to see positive images that look like them in the media,” Kahran told My Modern Met. “Unfortunately the lack of diversity often plays into the stereotypes that they are not ‘good enough’ and often forces kids to have low self-esteem.”

“We hope that viewers will see the beauty and versatility of afro hair and we hope that girls around the world will be inspired to love their unique differences and beauty within.” They have worked on the series in various states in the US, and even though the preparation was meticulous, the duo managed to maintain a level of spontaneity.

 

Afro Art is a series of stunning portraits that mixes the striking beauty of natural hair with elaborate clothing, inspired by the Baroque period

There are more Baroque portraits, and other styles at the link besides Baroque, that are equally stunning.

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39 Responses to Saturday Open Thread

  1. Dreaming In Fashion says:
    February 9, 2018 at 12:40 am

    😍😍😍 this

    Reply
  5. vitaminlover says:
    December 30, 2017 at 4:13 pm

    My God! Those pictures are absolutely beautiful! What lovely children!

    Reply
  7. rikyrah says:
    December 30, 2017 at 1:50 pm

    How the Russia Inquiry Began: A Campaign Aide, Drinks and Talk of Political Dirt
    By SHARON LaFRANIERE, MARK MAZZETTI and MATT APUZZO DEC. 30, 2017

    WASHINGTON — During a night of heavy drinking at an upscale London bar in May 2016, George Papadopoulos, a young foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign, made a startling revelation to Australia’s top diplomat in Britain: Russia had political dirt on Hillary Clinton.

    About three weeks earlier, Mr. Papadopoulos had been told that Moscow had thousands of emails that would embarrass Mrs. Clinton, apparently stolen in an effort to try to damage her campaign.

    Exactly how much Mr. Papadopoulos said that night at the Kensington Wine Rooms with the Australian, Alexander Downer, is unclear. But two months later, when leaked Democratic emails began appearing online, Australian officials passed the information about Mr. Papadopoulos to their American counterparts, according to four current and former American and foreign officials with direct knowledge of the Australians’ role.

    The hacking and the revelation that a member of the Trump campaign may have had inside information about it were driving factors that led the F.B.I. to open an investigation in July 2016 into Russia’s attempts to disrupt the election and whether any of President Trump’s associates conspired.

    Reply
  8. rikyrah says:
    December 30, 2017 at 1:47 pm

    Found this recipe over at BJ for cranberry rice pilaf:

    Gelfling 545 says:
    December 30, 2017 at 12:20 pm

    simmer your cranberries in water with a little sugar until they start to pop. Drain & let come to room temp. Dice a bell pepper or 2 depending on the amount of rice you have and a bunch of scallions or 2, again depending. Make an olive oil balsamic vinaigrette, add soy sauce & if you have it, toasted sesame oil to taste. Mix the whole thing together & pour the fressing over it using just enough to moisten. Let stand at room temp for a while for all the flavors to get acquainted. It can also be made with dried cranberries if fresh are not available. I generally mix white and wild rice for it. If you’d like a bit of crunch, toast & chop some walnuts & toss them in. This is a holiday tradition in our family as it can be made well in advance as long as it is brought to at least room temp before serving, though we’ve been known to eat it cold. Makes a nice side for practically any meat.

    Reply
  9. rikyrah says:
    December 30, 2017 at 1:46 pm

    On access journalism and its discontents

    ………………………

    Michael S. Schmidt of the New York Times conducted an interview with Donald Trump in the dead time between Christmas and New Year’s Day. I won’t give a blow by blow, as others have done it already. The upshot of the piece is that Trump was allowed to go on a stream-of-consciousness derp river, iterating lie after lie, with no challenge from Schmidt.

    Now, many have said that if Mr. Schmidt had challenged the moron-in-chief, he would have walked out of the interview. Of course, this begs the question: since when is this a valid reason to softball an interviewee, especially the putatively most powerful man in the world? Imagine a job interview where the manager is afraid to ask the applicant probing questions because she might walk out. That’s not how it works.

    What if Trump had walked out? I would argue that that would have had far more news value than his deranged, unchallenged ramblings. “Trump Can’t Handle Tough Questions” is far more newsworthy than “Trump Says Russia Inquiry Makes US ‘Look Very Bad'”. Any 10th grader with a grasp of current events could have told Schmidt that’s what Trump would say.

    ………………………………..

    Access journalism doesn’t serve the public interest. What it does serve is, of course, the journalist and the interviewee. The journalist burnishes his credentials; the interviewee gets to spew pabulum unopposed. Even if the Times had published a companion piece to the interview pointing out the various lies, falsifications, and outright delusions emitted by Trump, that would have been better than allowing him to express his id unfettered.

    In the Age of Trump, there is a lot of good journalism being conducted. Even, yes, in the Times. But too many journalists insist on treating Trump like a run-of-the-mill politician. He’s nothing of the sort. He’s Hitler without the strategic thought. He’s Mussolini without the gravitas. He is something never seen before in American politics, or at least never having ascended to the highest office in the land. Too many journalists believe that they have to treat Trump like a normal politician. In that decision, they are betraying the people they’re supposed to be serving: us, the public. The First Amendment doesn’t exist in the abstract. It is there specifically to hold the powerful to account without fear or favor. And it is even more essential when we have an existential threat to the state like Trump in office. Journalists have to get over the idea that they can treat Trump “normally”. They can’t. He’s not normal. The sooner they figure that out, the sooner we’ll be able to unwind this regime

    Reply
    • yahtzeebutterfly says:
      December 30, 2017 at 12:01 pm

      This moves my heart so deeply.

      Thanks for posting it, Ametia.

      Reply
    • Liza says:
      December 30, 2017 at 1:34 pm

      I never understood why the DOJ didn’t prosecute anyone, especially Dan Pantaleo, for the murder of Eric Garner. Good Lord, it was all on video. It couldn’t have been more clear.

      Reply
  19. Liza says:
    December 30, 2017 at 10:54 am

    Posted on Facebook:

    U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders — US Senator for Vermont
    25 mins ·
    Erica Garner was an exceptional young woman. She was a loving daughter, sister, mother, friend — and though she didn’t ask to be an activist, she responded to the personal tragedy of seeing her father die while being arrested in New York City by becoming a leading proponent for criminal justice reform and for an end to police brutality. I had the honor of getting to know Erica and I was inspired by the commitment she made working towards a more just world for her children and future generations. She was a fighter for justice and will not be forgotten. Jane and I send our deepest condolences to the entire Garner family and to all those she has impacted.

    Reply
  20. Liza says:
    December 30, 2017 at 10:19 am

    “I’ve protested. I’ve spoke on panels. I traveled across this nation. I exhaust all avenues. I even endorsed Bernie Sanders to get my message out. And it’s like we keep having a conversation I exhausted for two years. And, you know, how much talking do we need to have? The Black Lives Matter movement been very compassionate, patient, and basically begging the nation. You know, we are under attack as black people. We are being gunned down every day. And these officers are not being held accountable.”

    https://twitter.com/democracynow/status/947123369622765569

    Reply
  21. yahtzeebutterfly says:
    December 30, 2017 at 10:09 am

    Happy Birthday Aesha Ash! (born December 30, 1977)

    How wonderful that you started and continue to support the Swan Dreams Project :)

    https://youtu.be/0RPbR61DYik&rel=0

    Reply
  24. rikyrah says:
    December 30, 2017 at 5:28 am

    Good Morning,Everyone 😄😄😄

    Reply

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