Tuesday, March 31, 2015

What do we learn?



fitness model & athlete Christine Anderson in 2014


"When I was a girl, I wanted to be a Librarian. I love being around books. When I became an adult, I wanted to work at a bookstore so I could be around books all the time. Now, I have all the books I could possibly want and NO TIME TO READ ALL OF THEM! So it's true, the most reading you will ever do is in college!" ~ Christine Anderson

FitChicsRock

 

SEDUCE ME OR TRY!

Vote For Pictures

June 13, 2013
"When women pose it is either a friendly pose because they like you,
or their surroundings, or the pose is contrived, or the pose is innate, and it is poise.
"
- Dawn Wolf, Keeper of Stories 6.17.13


June 13, 2013
VOTE, or think about the consequences of electing to follow the impulse. Seduction is successful if little, or no thought is employed. Seduction is powerful, if led by thoughts, and consideration. Thought insures a bit of instability prickles within the seductress... - Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories 6.17.13

from gallery of
Telma Regina Garcia
June 17, 2013
"Give thanks for the prayer that brought her forth. . ." - Dawn Wolf, Keeper of Stories 

"...Voce pode chamar do que quiser...
Dar o nome que bem entender...
Uns dizem que é sintonia...
Outros falam em energia...
Há quem diga que é a mesma frequência...
Já alguns acreditam em almas conectadas...
Outros falam em pura empatia...
Prefiro acreditar...Que tem cor...
Que vem enfeitado...
Que colore o dia...
Que perfuma ...A noite
Que faz perder o sono...
Que se transforma em poesia...
Prefiro dizer que é...Doce...
Que tem sabor
Que preenche o vazio...
Que é simplesmente...Amor..."

Dina Isserlin

Danni Molly & Molly



Monday, March 30, 2015

a Thai custom

Ms. Pre for The House of Thailand
November 2, 2013

Time Passages. After 600 years, the Thai "wei" hasn't changed at all.

On the left is a stone relief that's about 600 years old. On the right is one of our Siamese models, Ms. Prae. The "wei(s)" are almost identical. 

Whenever I use non-Thai models, they just can't get the "wei" right. But the Thai models do it perfectly. And it's such a simple gesture that you'd think anyone could do it authentically. It just goes to show that you can't fake culture. (or can you?) - 
House of Thailand 11.2.13


 

Model Activism

http://www.amylemons.com


Amy Lemons
May 31, 2012


Amy Lemons is an internationally known and respected commodity. She is a model. She is also an advocate for change within her industry. A member of Model Alliance, an organization striking out at the fashion industry's leaning towards the zero-size-standard. Ms. Lemons is an advocate for healthier lifestyles, and the elevation of young women's self-esteem.

I know Naomi Campbell, another international model, is in the fight to protect the gains made for Black and African models who are used less in a racially exclusive format. The business of fashion and modeling has a terrible history with its preference for white models. There was a brief break in the trend that started in the late 1950's when the wife of EBONY and JET magazine's founder entered the game boldly. The major players would not allow Black American women to model their clothes. It would lower the value of their clothes, or so they believed. In response to that industry condition Mrs. Johnson purchased the expensive clothes herself, and catapulted the value of the Black woman's presence onto the international runways escalating the profits of an industry that pretended a huge potential market did not matter, or exist.

It is a common theme. In the real estate business a linked ideology was used to scare white homeowners away from their neighborhoods. The real estate industry knew full well the property values of homes sold to Black Americans escalate for reasons many refuse to believe. Historically, Blacks intentionally raise the value of their homes through their care of their homes. Also, unethical lending practices, and the propensity of whites involved in the dirty business of removing money from Black communities unfairly brought a lot of money into the industry by manipulating emotions and images!

As I have pondered the fashion industry over the years I wonder if the fear to confront the Gay movement's 'sales people' will continue to stall the progress to lead the industry away from its insistence upon unhealthy models to shape the images of women themselves to weak to muster up the creative juices to develop esteem separate from their unquestioned influences. Or, perhaps the culprit lies within the Puritanical influence upon women's esteem. Believing women to be the 'weaker vessel' has effectively affected self-esteem for a little over 20 centuries! Together these two have created a lot of fear, and misconceptions.

Knowing this advocates will have to dig in deeper than the tradition activism submits to. - Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories 6.13.13



Belle Whitein short red short dress in white heels.
Jan. 24, 2013

 

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Submit to Depth



Meytal Cohen, drummer is an Israeli Jew living in LS since 2004 !!!!



In my coming up opportunity in music looked very different than now. The internet and the technologies of this age has provided almost immediate access to strong fan bases, product lines, and promotional and album deals and most astonishing of all the ability to create quality recordings in one's home. The young people, more than I can, can innumerate the 'how' of this time period. I am interested in the depth of their craft and the development of person and craft. As an older and practiced musician I can submit into this generation some facts to consider if they want to be deep musicians well into their golden years. 

The 1960's and before required a level of impeccability today's youth think they can live without. The religion of their musical causes is a Muse, who erroneously thinks less, and acts more without the benefit of foresight. Insight always accompanies an educated mind, but the access to fleeting fame has re-focused many young people into a desire to merely be famous. Unable to connect the musical dots and trace influences into the past centuries and across continents and cultures leaves an anorexic spiritual base for creating music. Preparing for longevity is a distance from a relationship with ancestor's music, or the depth of knowledge a musician needs to digest to tell stories to the wide range of people who listen to music and need to connect with music makers. 

Music making is a spiritual art. It is a form of life from the creativity that formed the universe. Music, like stones, hold millions upon millions of stories ready to be told in a variety of ways and voices. Those voices are histories and American children disconnected from histories produce shallow sounds from the sands of stones, not the stones themselves. It is not completely their fault, and I am not taking this platform to bash them in the head. I am speaking into the solutions. 

There is a lot more to share, but the attention span of so many young people is considerably less than is required for the times, adulthood, or the depth of knowing required to be a master. The responsibilities of citizenship in a wealthy country like the U.S. for musicians are greater than an average soul just getting by in life. Because of the disconnect visited upon many of today's youth their vision is dimmed when it should be illuminated! - Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories 3.29.15



Anyway, I want to share the music of Meytal Cohen, a fantastic drummer I would love to play with one day!


At 20



"At 20 what did we want? At 40 what have we done? At 50 what can and do we give to the 20 year old?" - Dawn Wolf, Keeper of Stories 1.22.14







THINK OF BEAUTY



Uliana Kardash #29796
kissing amongst flowers


"Jealous folks will attempt to rob you of your calling but I'm here to encourage you to march on and never give up. Your blessing is bigger than the hateration formed against you." - Sinclair




Amen. It is true. When the fears that arise from the onslaught of jealousy and rage, which eventually accumulates in jealous people, embeds themselves in the recipient's body a new trouble arises: fear within. The last thing one should do in this state of being is to be quiet about it. Usually the first reactions are the wrong actions when trying  to overcome the fears inspired by jealous people's attacks. Share your condition with someone you trust, and together work your way out of this morass.

"Where two or more are gathered..."

"One can chase a thousand, two can chase ten thousand..." - Gregory 8.31.13



dark skinned woman meditating upon me.


THIS WOMAN!



Bella White holding her breasts is a sign of Life

"Atop a stage her presence is naturally overwhelming. Her physical presence is as strong as the wind is inevitable. The looming questions to all life forms shaped for re-birth, and transformation centers around the essence, and how it develops as a spiritual science." - Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories 6.14.13



Cameroon women -
Miss Ivory Coast , Cameroonian First Lady Mrs Chantal Biya
and Miss Cameroon by K-walk 2011


 

TO LIVE TO LEARN TO BE ALIVE

Gillian Alexander is the founder and holder of
 Founder and Holder of Sacred Space at Sacred Touch


Life

For most of my 30's I had a deep yearning for death as I felt it would free me. But I had a stronger connection to my son and that was the thread that bound me to life. In the past few years I have developed a deep love for life.

Because I have explored my relationship with death in such depth I do not fear it. It is this that frees me; my letting go of that ultimate fear.Gillian Alexander, March 7, 2012



"I just found a message in my Facebook spam message folder from the sister of the woman whose photo this is - I actually saw it from someone else's photos, so it seems to be doing the rounds, unfortunately, because it was meant to be held in a private folder." - Gillian Alexander 6.16.12

 

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Nigga Please !



Sinclair your words, "What people call you is a reflection of how they see you and value your worth..." are an insight into that which embroils Black Americans into a forever revolving door of frustration. It occurs within and without the churches they may attend. But, unlike any group I know of, save the Dalid people of India's caste system, give everyone the power to call them by the name that enslaves their spirit. American Blacks it's nigger. For the Dalid, it is the Untouchables. - Gregory E. Woods, 3.27.15


Sacred Geometry design drawn by Sasha Grey 


Words Are Powerful
By Dr. Sinclair Grey III


What you tell yourself has a way of manifesting itself. Let me say it another way. What people call you is a reflection of how they see you and value your worth (Oops, I said something). Words have meaning and because words have meaning, I challenge you to use them for uplifting and not tearing down. Don't let people cause you to degrade yourself and/or others for the benefit of profit and fame. With so much talk about free speech, let's get one thing clear - derogatory speech against Jews, Gays and Lesbians, as well as Latinos is consider hate speech, but use the 'N' word and it's either free speech or I'm sorry I said it and and got caught speech.


The writer of Proverbs penned the words, "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." Please don't miss this. Be careful of what you say because it has consequences. In addition to this, love yourself as well as others enough to not allow anyone to degrade or demean you with words. Oh, I have to say this. Just as we don't want anyone labeling us and mistreating us, we cannot do it to one another. 3.27.15


ASS OR HAIR



Kind of funny and confusing directive. There is a missed, or obvious contrast, or perception here. She is denying one pleasure and permitting another? Who is she directing this diatribe towards? Is this a flirtation, or a protest? Is she angry, or horny? Is this a political statement, or an assertion of power towards a person, or persons she knows, or a stab at assumptions made in a prior discussion?

"You can't touch my hair, but you can kiss my ass!" she said.

Is one more valuable than the other, or is her hair the ultimate stimulation for her, and a regular cat should know this, and respect it? - Gregory E. Woods 6.14.13


horizons to reflect upon


 

Friday, March 27, 2015

Ideals of Manhood

Natalia Noir
I've got used to the disregard given to fathers, and I haven't adjusted to it. It feels good when women acknowledge the depths of their father's touch to their lives, and even better when they encourage and tend to the seed of a father within their husbands. It is a powerful thing to be a man. Even more powerful to be a father whose children see him as a man. This perspective comes to the surface when the children have become adults. - Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories 6.20.13



Keene Joy in What She Does for herself !



Elizabeth Keene by Jonny Villanueva sporting a H&M shirt,
a red trench by Bebe, a Zara skort with a  Prada bag & black Amazon boots




Elizabeth Keene by Jonny Villanueva sporting a H&M shirt, a red trench by Bebe, a Zara skort with a  Prada bag & black Amazon boots

Black Bunnies or Black Women?

Telma Regina Garcia

African woman of the Bwa village of Dossi


A mulher bem amada
É apaixonada
Tem um cheiro especial
Todo seu, sem igual.

Ela é cheia de graça
Charme e beleza natural
Cheia de vida...é sensual
Por onde passa deixa o rastro
De perfume pelo ar.

Faz com que todos pensem
Que existe musica a tocar
E ela sabe o poder que tem
Ela gosta de ser mulher.

Maria Eduarda


African beauty of Nyomi Banxxx in black dress


"Olhe o mundo com a coragem do cego, entenda as palavras com a atenção do surdo, fale com a mão e com os olhos, como fazem os mudos!" - Cazuza



Thursday, March 26, 2015

Ancestors walked here. . .


gun held by Nikki Nova


Death and death deal making is such a business in the US. Killers, I learned through living in the States and working with killers, we graduate killers, and other criminals by the thousands every year from our schools. There is no city without them walking around doing regular stuff. With such an energy a kin to Mom's apple pie it is a tragic joke upon our children to pretend to protect them from what we create.” - Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories 2013


Lady boxer by Peter Salama


 

elegance Black of Women



elegant woman Ash Bester by 14th Frame Photography wearing a black dress by Massé



black pin up lady & boudoir model in an elegant style

 

Nymph in the Woods

Again Los Angeles
http://instagr.am/p/R_jIYQj1MR/

Woman wearing a Map chiffon skirt and a Johnny suede crop.
November 13, 2012

"A woman's energy body changes through circumstances and lifetimes. How it changes is dependent upon circumstances, intent, deeds and desires connected to the Dream of Self." © Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories

Jacqueline Kennedy portrait



Wednesday, March 25, 2015

for the Sake of Beauty



Jennifer Lopez by Michael Tran white Amanda Wakeley skirt
at 2015 Golden Globes after party !!!!



Diane Keaton's pretty legs

 

DANCE BETWEEN PEOPLE


South Pacific woman dance contestant 


"How we look upon others .. is not about them, it's about US ... If we have been raised in climates which respect the sacredness of others, the way we look upon others will reflect these teachings and their practices. The extent of outsider influence in the South Pacific can be seen in the varying ways that Pacific peoples have come to view themselves in mixed company and even amongst themselves/ourselves." 

- Ngaronoa Mereana Taki 8.2.14 


South Pacific man 



A Woman's Struggle with Disease







Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt


LOS ANGELES — TWO years ago I wrote about my choice to have a preventive double mastectomy. A simple blood test had revealed that I carried a mutation in the BRCA1 gene. It gave me an estimated 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer. I lost my mother, grandmother and aunt to cancer.
 
 
I wanted other women at risk to know about the options. I promised to follow up with any information that could be useful, including about my next preventive surgery, the removal of my ovaries and fallopian tubes.
 
 
I had been planning this for some time. It is a less complex surgery than the mastectomy, but its effects are more severe. It puts a woman into forced menopause. So I was readying myself physically and emotionally, discussing options with doctors, researching alternative medicine, and mapping my hormones for estrogen or progesterone replacement. But I felt I still had months to make the date.
 
 
Then two weeks ago I got a call from my doctor with blood-test results. “Your CA-125 is normal,” he said. I breathed a sigh of relief. That test measures the amount of the protein CA-125 in the blood, and is used to monitor ovarian cancer. I have it every year because of my family history.
But that wasn’t all. He went on. “There are a number of inflammatory markers that are elevated, and taken together they could be a sign of early cancer.” I took a pause. “CA-125 has a 50 to 75 percent chance of missing ovarian cancer at early stages,” he said. He wanted me to see the surgeon immediately to check my ovaries.
 
 
I went through what I imagine thousands of other women have felt. I told myself to stay calm, to be strong, and that I had no reason to think I wouldn’t live to see my children grow up and to meet my grandchildren.
 
I called my husband in France, who was on a plane within hours. The beautiful thing about such moments in life is that there is so much clarity. You know what you live for and what matters. It is polarizing, and it is peaceful.
 
That same day I went to see the surgeon, who had treated my mother. I last saw her the day my mother passed away, and she teared up when she saw me: “You look just like her.” I broke down. But we smiled at each other and agreed we were there to deal with any problem, so “let’s get on with it.”
Nothing in the examination or ultrasound was concerning. I was relieved that if it was cancer, it was most likely in the early stages. If it was somewhere else in my body, I would know in five days. I passed those five days in a haze, attending my children’s soccer game, and working to stay calm and focused.
 
The day of the results came. The PET/CT scan looked clear, and the tumor test was negative. I was full of happiness, although the radioactive tracer meant I couldn’t hug my children. There was still a chance of early stage cancer, but that was minor compared with a full-blown tumor. To my relief, I still had the option of removing my ovaries and fallopian tubes and I chose to do it.
 
 
I did not do this solely because I carry the BRCA1 gene mutation, and I want other women to hear this. A positive BRCA test does not mean a leap to surgery. I have spoken to many doctors, surgeons and naturopaths. There are other options. Some women take birth control pills or rely on alternative medicines combined with frequent checks. There is more than one way to deal with any health issue. The most important thing is to learn about the options and choose what is right for you personally.
In my case, the Eastern and Western doctors I met agreed that surgery to remove my tubes and ovaries was the best option, because on top of the BRCA gene, three women in my family have died from cancer. My doctors indicated I should have preventive surgery about a decade before the earliest onset of cancer in my female relatives. My mother’s ovarian cancer was diagnosed when she was 49.
 
I’m 39.
 
Last week, I had the procedure: a laparoscopic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. There was a small benign tumor on one ovary, but no signs of cancer in any of the tissues.
 
I have a little clear patch that contains bio-identical estrogen. A progesterone IUD was inserted in my uterus. It will help me maintain a hormonal balance, but more important it will help prevent uterine cancer. I chose to keep my uterus because cancer in that location is not part of my family history.
It is not possible to remove all risk, and the fact is I remain prone to cancer. I will look for natural ways to strengthen my immune system. I feel feminine, and grounded in the choices I am making for myself and my family. I know my children will never have to say, “Mom died of ovarian cancer.”
Regardless of the hormone replacements I’m taking, I am now in menopause. I will not be able to have any more children, and I expect some physical changes. But I feel at ease with whatever will come, not because I am strong but because this is a part of life. It is nothing to be feared.
 
 
I feel deeply for women for whom this moment comes very early in life, before they have had their children. Their situation is far harder than mine. I inquired and found out that there are options for women to remove their fallopian tubes but keep their ovaries, and so retain the ability to bear children and not go into menopause. I hope they can be aware of that.
 
It is not easy to make these decisions. But it is possible to take control and tackle head-on any health issue. You can seek advice, learn about the options and make choices that are right for you.
 
Knowledge is power.
 
 
Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook and Twitter.


Angelina Jolie upclose

 

A Deep Secret


ANKH 



The ANK has become a fashion statement of the unenlightened. But discarded amongst the frivolous strong spiritual science works in words and symbols despite the lowly projections of fads.” © Gregory E. Woods 2013


Black woman's tattoo tribute to ancient Egypt 


Mystery of Pregnancy




pregnant Black woman with baby shoes



"I am subjugated by what the power of pregnancy is and does. I have long felt that way once I left childhood perceptions of the world I viewed all the time. Pregnancy is forward motion and still moments bound in time staffed by eternal notions resistant to the constraints of time and body. Pregnancy is a strength of knowledge and an understatement of value, intriguing mysteries and the unstoppable conclusion that mysterious forces crashed against a wall one could not see before the merge into a mother's womb. Such is the memory I hold."  
 
 
- Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories 3.3.15



pregnant Lea Ann Ellison, weight lifter


pregnant Black woman, Norine Tuck-Ringwalt heavy with twins



 

Beauty Queen

mirrored truth of Jessica Alicia Bertrand by Charles Parks said,
"When you choose to see the good in others, you end up finding the good in yourself!"

"Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world." George Bernard Shaw 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
mirrored in a club
 
 
 

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

An Ideal: Diane Sawyer



Diane Sawyer (l,) presenting award at Glamour Magazine Honors in 2010 !!!!



 

Training to Be



black athlete Linda Andrew, Ifbb professional !!!!


"Be yourself and love yourself in all aspects! Doesn't matter what anyone else thinks as long as you're happy with who you are! Get fit y'all!" ~Ifbb Pro Linda Andrew

Hott Chocolate!


black athlete Cameesha Gordon


"A person's road to success is riddled with bobbietraps, wrong turns, and self sabotage. However, the path to a person's fit future lies with the right tools to see them through. With my experience and knowledge I can encourage people to meet their goals. Through rigorous training, an air tight diet, and instilling accountability I know you can meet your health goals." ~ Cameesha Gordon

No Excuses!

 

THINK RACE

Stevie Kay

Photo: Inked Photography MUA: with Brix Nobody.

March 24, 2013 


Josephine Baker's cleavage

"The hate directed against the colored people here in St. Louis has always given me a sad feeling... How can you expect the world to believe in you and respect your preaching of democracy when you yourself treat your colored brothers as you do?" - Josephine Baker 


Judge Lynn Toler in red dress