Bubbles & Vanessa Veasley

We copped a couple of images from BJS today. Here are a few scans from Smooth Girl Mag of Vanessa Veasley and Bubbles. I'm excited. MANDOM is moving to a new format in the new year, so be sure to check that out. For now enjoy the day!

I was just remarking to President Zillerman the other day in the boardroom...I said Zillerman..."Do you know just how good I am with the ladies???" To which he replied "Mr. Jones I can't even begin to fathom the notion". And that's why we get along so swimmingly, but back to the story. I said Zillz buddy, I am so good that I know what the women want before they even know they want it. "Indeed" he said "Indeed". ***Smokem peace pipe, secret mandom handshake***

So ladies, even before you say

"Ace, you are putting your boys on to all the flyest silks and linens around. When you gonna do something for the loveliest of the lovelies?!?!?!?!"

Fret not...I'm ten steps ahead of you, come fly with me... It's Spring / Summer '09 lets tighten this thang up ladies!

Givenchy

Milan

Jil Sander

MCM

Charlotte Ronson

Cassette

Zac Posen

Hermes

Louis Vuitton

Christian Lacroix

Form

Lacoste Spring / Summer 2009

Sneaker News reports :

The Lacoste Spring /Summer 2009 collection has been preview in photography in a limited selection over the past few weeks. Here's a video from a recent preview of the collection. The video includes most of the sneakers for both men and women for next year.

Fall From Grace...In Style With Band Of Outsiders

This is Charles Hamilton. As you may or may not know, there is currently an unwritten rule amongst the innanets most elite bloggers to put the kybosh on all thinks pink and or sonic the hedgehogish. You see ol Charlie did a vewy bad ting and now hes got to pay for it, but before the shake down the world was at his little fingertips. Oceans would part...legs would part, all for the love game. So when band of outsiders came calling, it was only right.

With all that said, enjoy the clothes, try to ignore the hedgehog wearing them.

...and to think, Max B almost gave this negro the wave.

Kobe Bryant: Ankle Insurance Salesman (Part Duex)

Full Version

I'm still shopping around

Those Yeezy's are Apples and Ba nay neys

Reebox Spring / Summer 2009 Collection

Meh...I'm a NIKE head, I wear chains that excite the feds.

* whispers under his breath*

those black jawns are kinda ill tho.

Rugby Ralph Lauren Holiday Collection 2008

Last looks before the new year ladies and gents. Ralph Lauren continues to be number 1 in my book.

Women Are So Out Of Touch

Nicole writes:

Are we as women out of touch with romancing our guys? The romance is definitely lacking between men and women these days and it's happening for a lot of different reasons. Some women would say that they're not as romantic to their man because he's not deserving. Some men would say that woman aren't doing the things they used to and therefore men aren't treating them the same. Here's my personal opinion:

Women are out of touch because we are so in touch with ourselves these days. We are hella focused on doing "us" that we forget that our man needs our attention too. There's nothing wrong with being focused on achieving your goals and taking care yourself but when you're in a committed relationship you have to remember to devote some of your time to your man. Make him feel special. He does what he's supposed to. He's good to you. But he's noticed that lately you haven't been paying any mind to him and what makes him happy at all. The clock starts ticking. You have only a limited amount of time to get it right before your man starts giving you that famous line, "I had told Craig and 'em i was gonna kick it with them...gotta go! See ya when I see ya!" Now Craig could be his homeboy from around the corner or the chick up the street with the big boobs and ass for days!

This is what happens when you neglect your man. I'm not saying that it's right but what I am saying is that when somethings lacking in the relationship naturally you seek what you're missing elsewhere. We as women are so quick to categorize all men as cheaters or dogs but when you take a deeper look at the situation you'll realize more often than not that the relationship was lacking from the beginning. Of course women would handle this situation differently but we are talking about men here. Just like women enjoy being romanced with candlelight dinners and weekend getaways your man enjoys being romanced as well. Your man needs attention. You have to pay attention to what he likes and what he doesn't like. While he may not want a candlelit dinner he'll appreciate you greeting him at the door when he gets home in lingerie and heels!

I think that when we as women really understand that men operate differently than us we will begin to see relationships last longer. It's not about bowing down and being a slave for your man. Its more about knowing how to please him. We expect men to please us right? Of course. We have to return the favor. We can't love a man the way we expect to be loved because we have different expectations. Men don't care about getting flowers at work or love notes left on the pillow. They do care about getting in bed after a long day's work and finding you in your birthday suit. Men are visual creatures. Women are more emotional. Don't get me wrong, they feel love and know what it is to be in love. They may not show it all the time but they know. It's just that they would rather throw you to the bed and have wild and crazy sex with you than have a deep conversation about how they feel about you. It's true ladies! If you're looking forward to that deep conversation you can forget about it unless sex is poppin' off after the conversation...lol. Men, i say after because we all know you need to take a nap after sex and at that point we might as well give up on the conversation!

All jokes aside, we could all use a lesson or two in romancing our significant others. I say we start paying attention to their needs and their likes and stop doing what we THINK they like. Pay attention and take note. Let's be 100% sure. That is if you want your relationship to last!

Twelve Bar: Spring '09

Here are my favorite items from Twelve Bar's collection for Spring '09.

Not much for graphic tees/sweaters but this font is dope to me

I REALLY like the grey lining...

EVERYONE needs a good "tennis sweater" for the summer

Nick, one of the founders of the popular streetwear brand Tweleve Bar shows us around the LA digs.

Chawnaka + Chrimah = Funniousness

If you haven't seen the "Hebrew Hammer"...treat yourself.

Red Bull: The Indy Sneaker Party

Never seen a sneaker fashion show before, pretty ill. I ma try to organize some ish like this in "The District."

As told by "Burd" on hypebeast forums....

I do some work with Red Bull in Indianapolis, filming events for them and putting together promotional edits and such. A couple of weekends ago I hit a charity event called the Indy Sneaker Party & Clothing Drive and witnessed a great atmosphere and some pretty sick customs.

Chawnaka + Chrimah = Funniousness

If you haven't seen the "Hebrew Hammer"...treat yourself.

Kobe Bryant: Ankle Insurance Salesman

So I'm joining the YMCA after New Years, not because I've got some crazy new years resolution to get into shape but because they have a full size indoor basketball court. I haven't played in a year and for some reason I have it in my mind to knock the rust off and bust some ass on the hardwood.

Which brings me to my point. I'm in the market for some new basket ball shoes. I'm a size 14 so its either E Bay or special order from Nike...score one for Nike iD.

MANDOM presents "Instinct: More Than A Phone..." By The Truth

In life, love or business we often have to struggle between taking chances and falling back. Trust yourself to know which way to go.

When opportunities present themselves, we have to decide if it’s too good to pass up or too good to be true. At times we want to take leaps of faith and not miss out on anything but we also want to protect ourselves, feelings, or pockets. When we become stuck between making a change or staying the same we look to influential people in our lives for advice or input, but what happens when people are telling you no and your instincts are telling you yes??? Just because somebody knows everything about you, doesn’t mean they know what’s best for you. It may be hard to believe but sometimes your biggest haters can be your closet friends. It doesn’t mean that they don’t want to see you succeed but they may not want to let you go. They may just want you to take the road they think is best or they may simply want your road for themselves.

More after the jump...

In other situations seeking outside help just might help you. You just might get that reassurance from others to make you comfortable in decision to make a major move. The thing is regardless if your team is cheering you on or trying to pull you out of the game, YOU have to be your ultimate decision maker. It can become troublesome when our supporters think we should go left and our gut is saying go right. It’s like being stuck between a rock and a hard place when we want to go against the words of close friends. You don’t want to seem ungrateful but the key to planning out your life is trusting those gut feelings.

I have to believe that when you don’t trust yourself, it has to be out of fear. Whether it’s fear of failure (fear that you won’t accomplish your goals) or fear of success (fear of losing everything they worked so hard to get or even that once you reach your goals you still won’t be happy) one has to realize that living out of fear doesn’t motivate or move you, it only keeps you stagnant. The saying “paralyzed with fear” doesn’t only apply when a masked gunman is asking for everything in your pockets. People seldom notice it but happens more than we want to admit, for instance, when you didn’t apply for that job you know you’re qualified for or when you broke up with that one girl because her hands were too big. Make sure all your decisions are what you really want and don’t come as a result of fear or from the guidance of someone else. Take a look at yourself and grab onto whatever it is that makes you unique. Love, embrace and become comfortable with it. Therein lies the strength to stand on your own and trust yourself.

People often encourage you to take chances but they tell you to protect yourself at the same time. It sounds hard to do but the secret is knowing and trusting yourself. When you get the urge to do something and all the signs are pointing in that direction then why not? You finally come across what you have been waiting for your whole life so why not? It would be such a waste to let fear or other people stop you. Learn to trust and follow your instincts and not other peoples directions. Nobody knows what best for you except you.

Keri Hilson - "Turnin' Me On" remix (feat. Busta Rhymes)

Beyonce - "Diva" & "Halo"

How many divas do we have in the house? bahh... put your hands down.

Beyonce - "Diva" & "Halo"

How many divas do we have in the house? bahh... put your hands down.

MANDOM presents "Instinct: More Than A Phone..."

The Truth writes...

In life, love or business we often have to struggle between taking chances and falling back. Trust yourself to know which way to go.

When opportunities present themselves, we have to decide if it’s too good to pass up or too good to be true. At times we want to take leaps of faith and not miss out on anything but we also want to protect ourselves, feelings, or pockets. When we become stuck between making a change or staying the same we look to influential people in our lives for advice or input, but what happens when people are telling you no and your instincts are telling you yes??? Just because somebody knows everything about you, doesn’t mean they know what’s best for you. It may be hard to believe but sometimes your biggest haters can be your closet friends. It doesn’t mean that they don’t want to see you succeed but they may not want to let you go. They may just want you to take the road they think is best or they may simply want your road for themselves.

More after the jump...

Alright class, now its time for show and tell...

Check the new spring/summer lines from A.P.C., BBC/Icecream, Tom Ford, Stussy & Adidas Originals

Thumbs Up

Thumbs Up (So exclusive, not available online...I'm not kidding.)

Thumbs Down

Sideways Thumb

Miss Koi is MANDOM's Mag Girl Of The Week

Born and raised in the small town of Eunice, Louisiana but then relocated to Houston, Miss Koi is determined to bring class back to modeling.

"I’m trying to bring a little class to my photos. I’m trying to show that you can be sexy and still be tasteful." -- Miss Koi

In a time where back shots are confused with glamour, Koi feels the standard for skin has been significantly lowered. "As more women have entered the market trying to do this, the bar has continually lowered in terms of how much skin is shown."

Can one woman change the world? No, but one idea can.

For those who don't know you, lets start by introducing yourself and telling everyone where you're from.

I am Miss Koi, model and aspiring actress out of Houston, TX.

This definitely wasn't an easy interview for me to get. You must be busy. What are you currently working on?

Yeah I work a regular 9 to 5 and my hours were crazy for a minute, but it’s slowed down quite a bit. Right now, I’m working on revamping my website and marketing myself more.

What was it like growing up in Louisiana and Texas?

Well I was born in a small town of Louisiana (Eunice) but moved to Houston, TX during my adolescent years and have been there since. Either way, I love the south! The people, the food most definitely.

What made you want to pursue a career in modeling?

I’ve always loved the camera so I decided to just give it a shot.

With all the negative stereotypes that come along with urban modeling, were you ever hesitant about being in this business?

No, but it’s definitely something I wasn’t prepared for. When I initially decided I would give modeling a try, I wasn’t thinking the urban market. I wanted to basically do commercial type stuff. But I had learn what market I fit into eventually, and that was urban. When I got a taste of it (the urban industry), it was little difficult to deal with because of all the negativity… but you learn that you have to have tough skin if you want to be in and stay in this business.

Why do you think urban models are consistently labeled hoes?

I think it’s several factors. I think a lot of it has to do with the repressed sexuality of black women in our communities. For a long time we’ve been taught that our sexuality is something dirty and wrong. Something to be kept in the closet. It’s only in like the last decade or so that black women have even been able to show off their sexuality in the same way as their white counterparts in magazines and in music videos. It’s also an outgrowth of the terminology rappers have used for years in their music. Video vixens largely originated from that genre of music, but if you think back to the Boyz to Men and Mint Condition videos of the nineties, the video models were not called hoes. It came from the hip-hop videos.

What do you feel your bringing to the modeling world?

I’m trying to bring a little class to my photos. I’m trying to show that you can be sexy and still be tasteful. (what some just don’t seem to get) As more women have entered the market trying to do this, the bar has continually lowered in terms of how much skin is shown. Me and the photographer I’m working with are trying to bring the hem of the skirt back up a little bit, but while still keeping it sexy.

What are your measurements?

36-29-45

What body part gets the most attention?

Hips and backside

Are there a lot of acting opportunity's in Texas?

Actually Texas doesn’t have much going on at all, so you have to travel for great opportunities.

As far as your modeling career is concerned, what are some things you would like to accomplish?

National print publications, acting roles, hosting, etc.

What types of men get your attention?

One that is well groomed, confident, and can hold a great conversation.

Are you spending the holidays with a special someone?

I’m a single lady. So the holidays will be spent with family, but no significant other.

Speaking of the holidays, if you could get one gift for Christmas what would it be?

I want a Yorkie!!

What's your New Years resolution?

Just to make the next year a better one than before.

Tell everyone the best way to keep updated with your work and how they can see more photos.

Well I’m constantly updating my myspace page (myspace.com/misskoi) and my website (www.misskoionline.com) is about to revamp soon. So check me out!

Any last words?

I would like to thank all of my fans and the readers for continually showing love and support. Also thank you to MANDOM for the opportunity to share bit of Miss Koi.
Make sure to stay tuned in for updates!

Details, Details, Details

If you don't know already gentleman, your wardrobe is all about the little things. The belts, the watches, the bags, the ties, the hats, the scarves, the wallets, the gloves, you get the point. These items are the glue that hold together your over all look and from day to day they can bring fresh new life to that old jacket, t shirt, or pair of jeans that you feel has lost its luster.

This luxurious pair of leather fingerless gloves from Lauren Urstadt don't just stop at the wrist and there in lies the genius. Because gentlemen, aside from the fit and quality of leather, the cuff of the glove makes or brakes said accessory. However, if you do away with conventional glove logic and instead manufacture some sort of bad ass leather glove/cotton sleeve combo! Well then you've just blown my mind. And best believe you will wow the masses when you pull these babies out.

Oak is charging $125 and that's a little steep, but the look & design is such that they will stay stylish and be durable enough to pull out for many winters to come. Personally, this is one of those items everyone might not be brave enough to sport so I'm gonna wait for them to go on sale. If you do like to live dangerously, cop now and take heed to some suggestions on how to integrate with basic items in your wardrobe.

1. As you can see, these joints look great with denim and light weight sweaters. This glove is gonna make your hands look weighty so make sure your sweater has enough heft to it. But nothing "champion hoodie thick".

2. Clarks wallabees, or a good brown leather boot. MAKE SURE THEY MATCH THE COLOR OF THE GLOVES! Coming kinda sorta close wont cut it.

3. Pea coat, preferably double breasted. Anything you wear make sure it has a little wear and tear to it. I.E. don't wear the same Banana Republic jawn that you rock on Sundays.

4. Here's some colors to think about: army green, navy blue, gray, black, deep purple, mustard yellow, burgundy, burnt orange...

Nike ACG Air Blazer

I like Nike Blazers, apart from Dunks they are my favorite of the original Nike designs. I also have a new found affinity for Nike's ACG (All Conditions Gear) division. Its something about their sleek take on ruggedness that allows you to look like your going camping in Central Park lol. So naturally the Jones was beside himself when I heard a while back that the timeless classic that is the Nike Air Blazer was gonna get the ACG treatment. Until these came along I was gonna get he Nike Air Lava Domes to fill the void in my shoe collection. But now thanks to these babies I wont have to break tradition. Dunks & Blazers 4 Ever!!!

P.S. this is the closest I will come to wearing Nike shoes that look like boots because I refuse to wear Nike Boots...sorry Wale.

MANDOM presents "Have You Pushed Him Away?" By Nicole

Jill Scott's song "The Fact Is (I Need You)" describes it best. Sometimes it's hard to say because you know I got my pride and all. I keep telling myself I can do this alone but…I need you. It's more than taking out the trash and fixing things around the house. I miss your touch and the way you used to hold me at night. I would rest my head on chest and you'd rub my shoulder gently until I fell asleep. I miss sitting up and watching movies with you. I miss the conversations we had. Teaching one another new things. I can do a lot of things on my own but having you in my life makes it worth while. Where are you? I haven't heard from you since the last time I saw you and even then things didn't seem quite right. I miss the sound of your voice. How you would call me just to say "I love you and I miss you"…that always made my day. You are supposed to be my protector. Where'd you go? Is it me or something I did? I'm just trying to put things into perspective. I never thought I'd feel this way. I always felt like I could do things on my own but after having you around for so long and seeing what life is like with you I realized that I'd rather be with you than without you. I'm all for making it work. Tell me what the problem was. Is there something I need to work on? Let me know and I'll make it better. I promise. 'Cause the truth is…I've never felt this way with anybody and I don't want this feeling to be gone forever. Hopefully we can get back to the time when things were good between us. I need you to help raise our child more importantly. I can teach him a lot of things but I understand that only a real man can teach him how to be a man. I'm strong though..and I guess I understand. What else can I do? Was it that bad? Anyway…I am dealing with not having you around anymore but it's hard…cause I need you.
Love always,

Wife/Mother/Daughter/Sister…any one of us women missing the Black Man.

This story sounds all too familiar to a lot of women. But have we really asked ourselves what we could've done to make things differently? There are thousands of reasons men walk out. Not all of them are good reasons but here are a few of them...

1.) You don't respect him.

Respect is most important in a relationship. You two have to respect each other. A successful relationship does not exist without respect. How can you expect a man to provide, protect and love you when you don't show him any respect? That's just asinine.

2.) You talk to him any kind of way.

This is a biggie. I for one can't stand to be talked to any kind of way and i talk to and treat people the way i want to be treated. Men can't stand to be talked down to or in a condescending way. Hell nobody does. It's just another way of showing him that you don't respect him. We don't want to be called "bitches" and "hoes" but it's ok to tell your man "he ain't shit?" Now if you really dealing with an "ain't shit" dude that's your problem but trust me even the "ain't shit" dude ain't trying to hear that. Not that we care about his feelings. He gets the dueces! The good man isn't going to stand for that nonsense.

3.) You're annoying.

Nobody, not even us women, want to deal with or be around someone that's annoying. It's that simple.

4.) You're too selfish.

All you think about is you. Everything has to do with you and your feelings. Why is he even there if he has no say so in anything and you could careless about how he feels? He may as well be gone and that's exactly what ends up happening. They give you the dueces and keep on pushing.

5.) It's just not working.

I don't know why some women find it hard to believe that a man walked out on them because it wasn't working out. It's like that reason is set aside for women only. If you're dealing with a mature, good man then he knows how to decipher when something is working and when it's not. When it's not he knows that it's time to go, providing that there's no way the relationship can be salvaged at this point.

So next time you find yourself writing another letter to the man or absent man in your life ask yourself why he's gone. Everyone makes mistakes. Maybe it's his loss but if you weren't doing all you can as a woman to take of your man then look at that situation as a learning experience and be sure not to make the same mistake twice. I understand that most women don't need a man for anything. We're all "independent" and everything...but aren't there just some things men are better at? Aren't there times where you wish you could curl up in his arms and watch a late night movie? So no matter how much money we make and no matter how much we can do on our own for ourselves...let's let men be men. We chop the manhood off sometimes screaming that we don't need a man for anything. Let him kill the bugs and take out the trash.

If you would like to add anything to this non-exhaustive list of "reasons men leave" feel free to do so in the comments section.

MANDOM presents "Have You Pushed Him Away?"

Nicole writes:

Jill Scott's song "The Fact Is (I Need You)" describes it best. Sometimes it's hard to say because you know I got my pride and all. I keep telling myself I can do this alone but…I need you. It's more than taking out the trash and fixing things around the house. I miss your touch and the way you used to hold me at night. I would rest my head on chest and you'd rub my shoulder gently until I fell asleep. I miss sitting up and watching movies with you. I miss the conversations we had. Teaching one another new things. I can do a lot of things on my own but having you in my life makes it worth while. Where are you? I haven't heard from you since the last time I saw you and even then things didn't seem quite right. I miss the sound of your voice. How you would call me just to say "I love you and I miss you"…that always made my day. You are supposed to be my protector. Where'd you go? Is it me or something I did? I'm just trying to put things into perspective. I never thought I'd feel this way. I always felt like I could do things on my own but after having you around for so long and seeing what life is like with you I realized that I'd rather be with you than without you. I'm all for making it work. Tell me what the problem was. Is there something I need to work on? Let me know and I'll make it better. I promise. 'Cause the truth is…I've never felt this way with anybody and I don't want this feeling to be gone forever. Hopefully we can get back to the time when things were good between us. I need you to help raise our child more importantly. I can teach him a lot of things but I understand that only a real man can teach him how to be a man. I'm strong though..and I guess I understand. What else can I do? Was it that bad? Anyway…I am dealing with not having you around anymore but it's hard…cause I need you.
Love always,

Wife/Mother/Daughter/Sister…any one of us women missing the Black Man.

This story sounds all too familiar to a lot of women. But have we really asked ourselves what we could've done to make things differently? There are thousands of reasons men walk out. Not all of them are good reasons but here are a few of them...

1.) You don't respect him.

Respect is most important in a relationship. You two have to respect each other. A successful relationship does not exist without respect. How can you expect a man to provide, protect and love you when you don't show him any respect? That's just asinine.

2.) You talk to him any kind of way.

This is a biggie. I for one can't stand to be talked to any kind of way and i talk to and treat people the way i want to be treated. Men can't stand to be talked down to or in a condescending way. Hell nobody does. It's just another way of showing him that you don't respect him. We don't want to be called "bitches" and "hoes" but it's ok to tell your man "he ain't shit?" Now if you really dealing with an "ain't shit" dude that's your problem but trust me even the "ain't shit" dude ain't trying to hear that. Not that we care about his feelings. He gets the dueces! The good man isn't going to stand for that nonsense.

3.) You're annoying.

Nobody, not even us women, want to deal with or be around someone that's annoying. It's that simple.

4.) You're too selfish.

All you think about is you. Everything has to do with you and your feelings. Why is he even there if he has no say so in anything and you could careless about how he feels? He may as well be gone and that's exactly what ends up happening. They give you the dueces and keep on pushing.

5.) It's just not working.

I don't know why some women find it hard to believe that a man walked out on them because it wasn't working out. It's like that reason is set aside for women only. If you're dealing with a mature, good man then he knows how to decipher when something is working and when it's not. When it's not he knows that it's time to go, providing that there's no way the relationship can be salvaged at this point.

So next time you find yourself writing another letter to the man or absent man in your life ask yourself why he's gone. Everyone makes mistakes. Maybe it's his loss but if you weren't doing all you can as a woman to take of your man then look at that situation as a learning experience and be sure not to make the same mistake twice. I understand that most women don't need a man for anything. We're all "independent" and everything...but aren't there just some things men are better at? Aren't there times where you wish you could curl up in his arms and watch a late night movie? So no matter how much money we make and no matter how much we can do on our own for ourselves...let's let men be men. We chop the manhood off sometimes screaming that we don't need a man for anything. Let him kill the bugs and take out the trash.

If you would like to add anything to this non-exhaustive list of "reasons men leave" feel free to do so in the comments section.

TI, Chanta Patton & Daphne Joy At Blackmens Mag Photoshoot

Hahaha at TIP saying that they were kissing and whatnot. Take a short trip back in time by looking at the cover and inserts we posted before.

MANDOM presents "Let's Not Waste Anymore Time" By Nicole

I'll get right down to it. Nobody wants to waste time. Time waits for no one. While you're hopscotching through life in and out of relationships time is steady passing you by. I learned a long time ago that you should not have to work overtime to prove to someone that you're great. If they don't see it for themselves then they lose. Move on. Cut your loses early on. To many times we stick around hoping that one day this "thing" we have will turn into a relationship. Stop doing that. This goes for men and women. I've seen both in this situation. I know what love is and what it means to me. I won't settle for less. I also won't spend a substantial amount of time trying to show someone that I'm the one for him. If I still have to convince you after knowing you for some time and spending time with you then maybe I'm not the one for you. I think we've got it all wrong. People have taken "playing hard to get" and "being persistent" to a whole different level. "Playing hard to get" is not him/her telling you they don't want to be with you. More after the jump...

More than likely they meant that. "Playing hard to get" is not returning a call until after the second call has been made. "Being persistent" isn't you pursuing them when they've made it clear that they no longer want to see you. "Being persistent" is when you don't give up on a person who's unsure about what they want. But even that get's to be a bit much after a while and a decision has to be made. There's nothing worse than you trying to pursue someone who's just plain old not interested in you. Are you wasting time or do you really think they'll come around? What makes you think they will?

Don't fall for the okey doke. A lot of times people tell us what we want to hear and give us just enough to keep us right where we are. You know when you think it's really over and nothing will come of the two of you and then they tell you something you need to hear like "I really care about you." In your mind that translates into "I really care about you and maybe one day we'll be together." That's the okey doke...and we do it to ourselves. We've all done it before. Reading too much into what someone said is never a good thing and most times we're off anyway.

Sometimes you have to pull back a little to save yourself from being hurt. I'm not saying cut someone off completely but do what you need to in order to save yourself some heartache. He/she should understand that you need some time and space to yourself.

Time is not to be wasted on anything or anyone. Once it's gone...it's gone. You can't get it back. Let's try to spend our time on people who are genuinely interested in us. If you notice that it's going nowhere...let it be known. Communicate this with the person if need be. The sooner the better. Then maybe you can leave that situation behind with your friendship intact. Prolonging this conversation will almost always result in someone's feelings being hurt and a lot time it makes it harder to maintain a friendship. Why? Because we're hurt. We thought the relationship was going somewhere and clearly it wasn't. That's bad enough. But then for you to allow it to drag on without telling me how you feel makes it worse. It's hard to remain friends after that. Sometimes there's a level of resentment there if the person had strong feelings for you.

Remember: Time waits for no one. Let's not waste anymore time. Cut your loses now. The "one" for you is still out there and the less time you spend on someone who doesn't want you the more time you have for the one that does.

MANDOM presents "To Flirt Or Not To Flirt" By The Truth

Congratulations readers, we have 2, YES TWO Mandom presents items from The Truth, and after lunch, Nicole. Damn you are some lucky mofos. And now here's "To Flirt Or Not To Flirt" by The Truth.

It’s cold outside and by now everybody has settled into their winter relationships. Things are going pretty good. You guys are spending a lot of time together and things are really moving along. UNTIL, you decide to cook her dinner and spend the night in. At the checkout line, the cashier looks at her with the brownest eyes in the whole universe, licks his lips LL style, smiles and says “Have a good night. Come see me if you need ANYTHING else.” She smiles, takes her receipt and says “Thank you. I’ll be sure to do that.” Meanwhile you’re going crazy thinking “What the expletive! Does he not see me right here? Is she out of her mind? Are you serious?” More after the jump...

But you don’t say anything. You guys make your exit and while you’re trying to figure out this quagmire you bump into the closet replica of Serena Williams in existence. She coyly touches your arm and says “Excuse me” and you say “No, excuse ME.” You lock eyes with her and smile for a short second until you remember who you’re with and where you are. As she makes her way through the grocery store you take a look back and enjoy the view of her bar booty (you know the kind you can sit your drink on??) until you hear your sweetie clear her throat. You snap out of your trance and look at her and see that she is shooting a look of pure unadulterated evil your way.

What happened in this situation happens commonly in a lot of relationships and can sometimes lead to the demise of a good thing. You guessed it. Flirting. I personally believe that nothing is wrong with flirting UNLESS it offends/disrespects your mate which makes it a tricky thing. How do you know what is offensive to him/her? You don’t. Which is why I also think flirting is something that should be reserved for the single and unattached. You can’t stop someone from flirting with you, but if they do if you don’t flirt back is that being rude? You don’t wanna throw out the fact that you’re involved every time somebody says hello but how do you handle the situation without being offensive to the “flirtee” or your partner?

What about when your partner isn’t around? Does that mean it’s free for all flirting season??? This kind of ties into my definition of cheating. I think that cheating is anything you wouldn’t do if your partner wasn’t around including phone calls, hugs, meetings and flirting. Why? Because if you doing something behind my back that equals sneaking which equals not good. Once you throw the sneak factor into something that makes the whole situation…different. BUT since flirting can be done in the presence of your partner so how does that work?

Flirting is a complex thing. Flirting has been around since the beginning of time and will be around long after our generation has settled to dust. My goal today is to get a consensus on what guys think flirting is. What constitutes flirting in your eyes? If you’re in a relationship why do you need to flirt? Is there an excuse for flirting? Are you a flirt?

MANDOM presents "Let's Not Waste Anymore Time"

Nicole writes:

I'll get right down to it. Nobody wants to waste time. Time waits for no one. While you're hopscotching through life in and out of relationships time is steady passing you by. I learned a long time ago that you should not have to work overtime to prove to someone that you're great. If they don't see it for themselves then they lose. Move on. Cut your loses early on. To many times we stick around hoping that one day this "thing" we have will turn into a relationship. Stop doing that. This goes for men and women. I've seen both in this situation. I know what love is and what it means to me. I won't settle for less. I also won't spend a substantial amount of time trying to show someone that I'm the one for him. If I still have to convince you after knowing you for some time and spending time with you then maybe I'm not the one for you. I think we've got it all wrong. People have taken "playing hard to get" and "being persistent" to a whole different level. "Playing hard to get" is not him/her telling you they don't want to be with you. More after the jump...

More than likely they meant that. "Playing hard to get" is not returning a call until after the second call has been made. "Being persistent" isn't you pursuing them when they've made it clear that they no longer want to see you. "Being persistent" is when you don't give up on a person who's unsure about what they want. But even that get's to be a bit much after a while and a decision has to be made. There's nothing worse than you trying to pursue someone who's just plain old not interested in you. Are you wasting time or do you really think they'll come around? What makes you think they will?

Don't fall for the okey doke. A lot of times people tell us what we want to hear and give us just enough to keep us right where we are. You know when you think it's really over and nothing will come of the two of you and then they tell you something you need to hear like "I really care about you." In your mind that translates into "I really care about you and maybe one day we'll be together." That's the okey doke...and we do it to ourselves. We've all done it before. Reading too much into what someone said is never a good thing and most times we're off anyway.

Sometimes you have to pull back a little to save yourself from being hurt. I'm not saying cut someone off completely but do what you need to in order to save yourself some heartache. He/she should understand that you need some time and space to yourself.

Time is not to be wasted on anything or anyone. Once it's gone...it's gone. You can't get it back. Let's try to spend our time on people who are genuinely interested in us. If you notice that it's going nowhere...let it be known. Communicate this with the person if need be. The sooner the better. Then maybe you can leave that situation behind with your friendship intact. Prolonging this conversation will almost always result in someone's feelings being hurt and a lot time it makes it harder to maintain a friendship. Why? Because we're hurt. We thought the relationship was going somewhere and clearly it wasn't. That's bad enough. But then for you to allow it to drag on without telling me how you feel makes it worse. It's hard to remain friends after that. Sometimes there's a level of resentment there if the person had strong feelings for you.

Remember: Time waits for no one. Let's not waste anymore time. Cut your loses now. The "one" for you is still out there and the less time you spend on someone who doesn't want you the more time you have for the one that does.

MANDOM presents "To Flirt Or Not To Flirt"

The Truth:

Congratulations readers, we have 2, YES TWO Mandom presents items from The Truth, and after lunch, Nicole. Damn you are some lucky mofos. And now here's "To Flirt Or Not To Flirt" by The Truth.

It’s cold outside and by now everybody has settled into their winter relationships. Things are going pretty good. You guys are spending a lot of time together and things are really moving along. UNTIL, you decide to cook her dinner and spend the night in. At the checkout line, the cashier looks at her with the brownest eyes in the whole universe, licks his lips LL style, smiles and says “Have a good night. Come see me if you need ANYTHING else.” She smiles, takes her receipt and says “Thank you. I’ll be sure to do that.” Meanwhile you’re going crazy thinking “What the expletive! Does he not see me right here? Is she out of her mind? Are you serious?” More after the jump...

But you don’t say anything. You guys make your exit and while you’re trying to figure out this quagmire you bump into the closet replica of Serena Williams in existence. She coyly touches your arm and says “Excuse me” and you say “No, excuse ME.” You lock eyes with her and smile for a short second until you remember who you’re with and where you are. As she makes her way through the grocery store you take a look back and enjoy the view of her bar booty (you know the kind you can sit your drink on??) until you hear your sweetie clear her throat. You snap out of your trance and look at her and see that she is shooting a look of pure unadulterated evil your way.

What happened in this situation happens commonly in a lot of relationships and can sometimes lead to the demise of a good thing. You guessed it. Flirting. I personally believe that nothing is wrong with flirting UNLESS it offends/disrespects your mate which makes it a tricky thing. How do you know what is offensive to him/her? You don’t. Which is why I also think flirting is something that should be reserved for the single and unattached. You can’t stop someone from flirting with you, but if they do if you don’t flirt back is that being rude? You don’t wanna throw out the fact that you’re involved every time somebody says hello but how do you handle the situation without being offensive to the “flirtee” or your partner?

What about when your partner isn’t around? Does that mean it’s free for all flirting season??? This kind of ties into my definition of cheating. I think that cheating is anything you wouldn’t do if your partner wasn’t around including phone calls, hugs, meetings and flirting. Why? Because if you doing something behind my back that equals sneaking which equals not good. Once you throw the sneak factor into something that makes the whole situation…different. BUT since flirting can be done in the presence of your partner so how does that work?

Flirting is a complex thing. Flirting has been around since the beginning of time and will be around long after our generation has settled to dust. My goal today is to get a consensus on what guys think flirting is. What constitutes flirting in your eyes? If you’re in a relationship why do you need to flirt? Is there an excuse for flirting? Are you a flirt?

Fat Joe Picks Up His Mercedes CL 600

Unique Autosports South customized Fat Joe's CL 600. It looks great. But I swear my Impala Gladys is iller.

Amazin Amie Smooth Girl Mag Spread

I keep seeing Amazin Amie and then the acronym PAWG. I so wanna call her that at times, but then I catch myself. Amazin Amie is from the V. 2 Up 2 Down and she recently appeared on the cover of Smooth Girl Mag with Bubbles and Ciara Chantel. Check out her spread in great quality and her Show mag photoshoot below. More pics, after the cut.

After the James Bond-esque mini movie in promotion for his new fragrance, music, clothing, cologne, actor, (and many more titles) Sean "Diddy" Combs has a competition for all.

Diddy has just announced an opportunity for three potential "Kings" out there to be transported to NYC for the opportunity of a lifetime, to live like a KING for a few days!

In honor of the launch of the new I am King fragrance, Diddy and Estee Lauder are asking all of the overacheivers,superstars,hustlers,ballers,fathers,brothers,and mothers out there to upload videos of themselves explaining to the world why "they are Kings" in thier worlds.

Diddy is going to choose his favorite three submissions and fly those three individuals to New York for a three day all expense paid King-like experience! Diddy has already started checking these out, so start uploading those videos, the competition ends January 25th!!!!

MANDOM presents "Drop It Like It's Hot" By The Truth

When you fantasize about your dreams coming true? What do you see? Peace, financial stability, a fulfilling career, and most likely to left or right is the person who was there all along. This is the person who supported you, the person you worked with, or the person who simply put up with your malarchy. Now come back to right now. Is the person standing next to you going as hard as you are TODAY?

Have you ever said something like “Well, I was supposed to go to Chicago but my friend didn’t have his money together so I just didn’t go” or something like “I made it to the concert but I was late because he wasn’t ready on time”? A lot of times we try to involve friends/family in our plans to do better, but what do we do when that person starts to hold us back? The solution is simple. Drop the dead weight.

Generally speaking, it’s better to do things with people who we love and care about. Whether it’s business or personal, it’s always comforting to look to your side and see your support system standing there. The hard part about it is figuring out if the person is your support system or simply being supported. Think about it like a hot air balloon. They can go to so high and travel so far as long as there is enough heat to elevate the basket. Once the balloon has reached the maximum height for the amount of heat provided you have to blast more heat and possibly drop some of the sandbags from the side. You can blast more and more heat but eventually you’ll have to drop the extra weight in order to go as high as you want to. Compare this situation to your life. The hot air balloon represents you. The sky represents your goals, dreams, aspirations and passions. The fire inside the balloon represents the drive, ambition and hard work you need to get there. And you guessed it, those sandbags on the side represents the people/situations in your life you need to let go of so that all your hard work isn’t in vain.

There is nothing wrong with pushing the people we love to do better, but we can’t let their procrastination or lack of drive delay our progress. The old saying goes “a team is only as strong as the weakest link” but who says dead weight is part of your team? You can’t live a fruitful life on the schedule of someone else. When you feel the need to go hard, GO! It may be a lot of hard work, lonely days and stressful events but when the fruits of your labor bloom do you really want to share them with someone who didn’t put it? Let’s say you don’t wanna let this person go. This has been your homie since hopscotch and tater tots but if this homie causes you to miss your chance whose fault is it?

We have to remember that the people we love the most don’t always want the same things we do. As bad as we want them to, people are only going to go as hard as they want to go. No matter how much you inspire, motivate, uplift, encourage or even drag somebody to do something better, if they are comfortable at ground level there is no way you’ll get them to touch the sky.

MANDOM presents "Drop It Like It's Hot"

The Truth writes:

When you fantasize about your dreams coming true? What do you see? Peace, financial stability, a fulfilling career, and most likely to left or right is the person who was there all along. This is the person who supported you, the person you worked with, or the person who simply put up with your malarchy. Now come back to right now. Is the person standing next to you going as hard as you are TODAY?

Have you ever said something like “Well, I was supposed to go to Chicago but my friend didn’t have his money together so I just didn’t go” or something like “I made it to the concert but I was late because he wasn’t ready on time”? A lot of times we try to involve friends/family in our plans to do better, but what do we do when that person starts to hold us back? The solution is simple. Drop the dead weight.

Generally speaking, it’s better to do things with people who we love and care about. Whether it’s business or personal, it’s always comforting to look to your side and see your support system standing there. The hard part about it is figuring out if the person is your support system or simply being supported. Think about it like a hot air balloon. They can go to so high and travel so far as long as there is enough heat to elevate the basket. Once the balloon has reached the maximum height for the amount of heat provided you have to blast more heat and possibly drop some of the sandbags from the side. You can blast more and more heat but eventually you’ll have to drop the extra weight in order to go as high as you want to. Compare this situation to your life. The hot air balloon represents you. The sky represents your goals, dreams, aspirations and passions. The fire inside the balloon represents the drive, ambition and hard work you need to get there. And you guessed it, those sandbags on the side represents the people/situations in your life you need to let go of so that all your hard work isn’t in vain.

There is nothing wrong with pushing the people we love to do better, but we can’t let their procrastination or lack of drive delay our progress. The old saying goes “a team is only as strong as the weakest link” but who says dead weight is part of your team? You can’t live a fruitful life on the schedule of someone else. When you feel the need to go hard, GO! It may be a lot of hard work, lonely days and stressful events but when the fruits of your labor bloom do you really want to share them with someone who didn’t put it? Let’s say you don’t wanna let this person go. This has been your homie since hopscotch and tater tots but if this homie causes you to miss your chance whose fault is it?

We have to remember that the people we love the most don’t always want the same things we do. As bad as we want them to, people are only going to go as hard as they want to go. No matter how much you inspire, motivate, uplift, encourage or even drag somebody to do something better, if they are comfortable at ground level there is no way you’ll get them to touch the sky.

Electrik Red Performing At SugarHill

Kenny Burns catches a show with Electrik Red doing their thing on stage. Also in attendance wereLloyd, The Dream and Stic Man from Dead Prez.

Charles Bronson Stars In Jadakiss' Death Wish Mash-Up

MANDOM frontman Charles Bronson's Death Wish 3 clips are spread through this clip of Jadakiss's "Death Wish" jam with a Lil' Wayne feature. Notice the accuracy of the sniping with the .475. Shouts out to Expressive Frontier

Jadakiss - "Death Wish" (feat. Lil' Wayne)

Vanessa Wilson Is MANDOM's Mag Girl Of The Week

BTW, this is a MANDOM Exclusive.

"The Next Big Thing". That's a pretty bold title in an industry as competitive as urban modeling. Granted, most models would take that title but how many can actually live up to it? How many models can match the looks of Esther Baxter and the hustle of Melyssa Ford? You would think that whoever was given that title would be a tad bit intimidated but Vanessa Wilson isn't. I guess when you've already given yourself the title of "Future Oprah", being the next big thing in modeling almost seems easy.

Kenny Burns catches a show with Electrik Red doing their thing on stage. Also in attendance wereLloyd, The Dream and Stic Man from Dead Prez.

Electrik Red Performing At SugarHill

Kenny Burns catches a show with Electrik Red doing their thing on stage. Also in attendance wereLloyd, The Dream and Stic Man from Dead Prez.

Dubya Ducks Muntadar's Kicks

Watch out George! You see how agile Bush is? That's not by accident!

But his appearance at a news conference here was interrupted by an Iraqi journalist who shouted in Arabic — “This is a gift from the Iraqis; this is the farewell kiss, you dog” — and threw one of his shoes at the president, who ducked and narrowly avoided being struck.

As chaos ensued, he threw his other shoe, shouting, “This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq.” The second shoe also narrowly missed Mr. Bush as Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki stuck out a hand in front of the president’s face to help shield him.

A scrum of security agents descended on the man, who was about 12 feet from the lectern, and wrestled him to the floor and then out of the ornate room where the news conference was taking place. The president was uninjured and brushed off the incident. “All I can report is it is a size 10,” he said jokingly before continuing his news conference and noting the apologies of Iraqi journalists in the front row. -- [ SOURCE ] [ VIA ]

Save this one and the image of him falling off the Segwey for the scrapbook.

The Color Of Money

I know the man is colored, but a colored coin??? Really America? Is this how you wanna commemorate history with monopoly money?

I was up way past my tuck in time and saw this fuckery on the tube

That shit looks like a 3rd grade color by numbers art project. If you gonna honor the first black president of the U.S. then give him a REAL coin. Money negroes can actually spend. This shit looks like them POG's from back in the days LOL! I mean I have seen coins before but never in technicolor. Then to add insult to injury they got a second colored coin in the deal that has Brack sharing face time with JFK (who actually had a real coin that was in circulation). This shit aint even coming out of the US mint. Its coming out of the New England mint! They not even gonna keep the "crayola fake monopoly Barack dollar" in Fort Knox! We are in a recession people, if you gonna take the time to print up or stamp out some money, the least you could do is make it spendable.

I mean damn, even Sacajawea had real money! This is just a damn shame.

Snoop Dogg Tries To Bulk Up In Promo For Fatherhood

Too funny. Superstar rapper Snoop Dogg is trying to get his weight up to keep up with his kids and their sports. But... He's like 40. And a chronic Chronic smoker hahaha. More power to him though.

Electrik Red Performs In NYC

Naomi, Sarah, Lesley and Binkie aka Electrik Red perform their single "Friend Lover" in New York (above) and a handful of 80's songs (below) at a recent showcase. This all in preparation for the release of their album, How To Be A Lady.

G4TV's Xplay Announces Best Game Of 2008

Play the vid to find out what Xplay's Adam and Morgan announce as the best game of the year. And the entire list of best games of 2008 in their respective categories can be found here.

Estelle On Cover Of Stella

The "Come Over" singer from the UK on the cover of Stella.

Beyonce's Giant Mag Outtakes

Whoops somebody got caught playing with the noodles! Giant Mag released some outtake photos of Beyonce on the heist for Cup O'Noodles. More images below. Thanks to the good people at BlackJackSkanz.

A Bathing Ape Book

Copped from Freshness:

A Bathing Ape has released a full 384-page full color book to celebrate the brand’s 15 years of existence. The book provides readers a great look at the history of A Bathing Ape from all of the different collaborations to the various celebrities who have worn Bape in addition to a timeline of when various Bape products were released. For all of us who have admired A Bathing Ape and what it has done for street culture this book is definitely worth picking up even if you are not a fan of the brand today.

Buy it at Amazon (pronounced uh-MAY-zin). More pics below.

Even more at Freshness.

The Roots Late Night Teams With Jimmy Fallon

Future late night host Jimmy Fallon has a video blog.

I know there are a lot of you saying that Jimmy Fallon isn't that funny. Especially funny enough to follow behind Conan O'Brien. Do you have to be funny to do a late night show? Leno is the only one laughing at his jokes. Word to Kevin Eubanks. MadTV (sketch comedy) has been cancelled. Nobody I know watches Carson Daily. Letterman is cool. Kimmel is funny. And SNL fades back into depression sans musical performances.

But hey, more power to Jimmy. I have faith in him. Because I believe, off the cuff, he might be just as good as Conan. Scripted? That still remains to be seen. But he does have the legendary Roots crew as his house band. A+ decision making right there Fallon. Hmmm I wonder how ?uestlove will respond to jokes directed his way? March 2nd.

The Roots Late Night Teams With Jimmy Fallon

Shatoya Monique Is Mandom Mag's Girl Of The Week

I have always had an eye for talent and Shatoya Monique is no exception. After getting off to a slow start in 2003, Shatoya decided to take a break from modeling to study acting and finish school. "People wanted to put me in the category as an urban model, I really didn't like that term". After returning to the modeling scene, it was being able to hold her own against modeling heavyweight Jessica Rabbit that landed Shatoya spots in videos by Nelly and Lil Wayne. With no plan b and success being her only option, Shatoya sits down with MANDOM to discuss her career, her love life and if Lil' Wayne and Nelly tried to holla.

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