Friday QuoteDay

"This subject is old but I have never answered it in its entirety. And even with this post it will remain incomplete.

Ms. Willow Smith, pre-haircut. Image via Wikipedia.

The question why I would LET Willow cut her hair. First the LET must be challenged. This is a world where women, girls are constantly reminded that they don't belong to themselves; that their bodies are not their own, nor their power or self determination.

I made a promise to endow my little girl with the power to always know that her body, spirit and her mind are HER domain. Willow cut her hair because her beauty, her value, her worth is not measured by the length of her hair. It's also a statement that claims that even little girls have the RIGHT to own themselves and should not be a slave to even their mother's deepest insecurities, hopes and desires. Even little girls should not be a slave to the preconceived ideas of what a culture believes a little girl should be."

— Jada Pinkett Smith, Actress and Director, and Absolute Winner 

at parenting while addressing her daughter Willow's hair via Facebook. 

Weekly Flâneur: Tree of Life

Image of tree against setting sun. Click to enlarge.

Cozy up to a friend and watch the sun set the sky on fire. 

Winter is coming. Charlotte, N.C., 2012

In Which I Break Boy Band Synonyms

An Important Announcement Regarding Boy Bands on Flâneur in the City:

Sorry to disappoint you, new readers, but this is not a Backstreet Boys Blog. Even though seven out of ten of my keyword searches for today alone have been for the Astern Avenue Adolescents.

And only ONE for Bowie? Really?

Despite what Google may lead you to believe, I have all of one post on the Ol' Rear Road Rousers, and the fellows are mostly used as a metaphor for communication on the Internet. (Oh! And said post also brought me my very first troll! Memmmmories!)

There's this post on Forgotten Boy Bands of the '90s that I need to follow-up on, but since many of you so ardently, lovingly Google the Young Bucks of Posterior Boulevard, I don't think they're really forgotten.

But now that we're talking about them, I suppose I do have something to say.

This right here? This is "As Long As You Love Me."

 And this? This is Justin Bieber?

 What do you mean it's not a Lads of the Rearmost Lane tribute cover? Image via Wikipedia.

Honestly? I don't WTF the Justin Bieber kid is singing when he crones, "As Long As You Love Me" on the radio. Perhaps it's because of the lone gray hair that sticks out of my scalp like a planted flag on Mt. Brunette, but I do not understand why this song exists. There can be only one boy band/boy bander with this song title. It's like Highlander, but much more deadly.

This is not a bad picture; the '90s were just that fuzzy.

The Bairns of the Hindmost Trail are five and the Biebs is one. And Bieb-a-roo, that doesn't mean you are THE one.

Anyway, this has been your FitC Important Boy Band Announcement of the Day.

Share And Share Alike

It's time to update the Reading List! Here's a quick round-up of new or new-to-me sites, and a few people you should follow.

Through A London Looking Glass

Have you seen this yet? I swell up with uncharacteristically obnoxious big-sisterly pride that I am sure makes dear Ashley roll her eyes, but I am ridiculously proud of her blog. Like, print photos of it, carry them in my wallet and force strangers on the train to look at them and agree with me how awesome it is. She's found a niche in reviewing newly released and advanced copies of YA books and she's killing it over there. Go visit and follow, if you haven't already.

Lost & Found Fiction

What do you do when you want to write books, right now? Start your own publishing company! Darling friend Buchanan has written multiple books, stories, comics, you-name-its, and shares them all through Lost & Found Fiction. Consider this your Cyber Tuesday shopping tip! Books on sale now!

Everything But Black

Once upon a time, Chris of Everything But Black casually sent me a link to his music and then expected me to talk to him like he wasn't brilliant and I wasn't a total fangirl. I know, right? Luckily we're still friends. If you're looking for music, art and entertainment that's more than puddle-deep, visit Chris and his co-blogger Ryan at EBB.

Fresh Beats, Fresh Eats

Let's all make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies with Grapefruit and Star Anis. Right now. No, seriously, I don't even know if star anis is a veggie or a fruit but I think I need these cookies right now. (And stay to listen to some choice tunes.)

The American Londoner

Let's all drool over Govinda's and hot chocolate in this ex-pat's recent Dublin post. Oh my! (And stay to read some political musings on American politics from an expatriate's perspective.)

Rants 'n Raves

The Arthurnator has opinions, and is not afraid to share them! Actually, Arthur is very witty and kind and has a way with words. Today's post about his love gave me an "Aww!" mixed with a chuckle. (An awwhuckle?)

That's All, She Wrote

Big-dreamer Ann curated Making Notes: Music of the Carolinas, a nonfiction anthology of stories and essays about the musical history of North and South Carolina. She's also as sweet as anyone can possibly be, and encourages writing fanfiction.

Counting Down The Hours

Oh, this guy. Matt Brunson will forever be FitC's #1 Film Critic Extraordinaire, without question. But when it comes to the geeky side of film and video games, this dude Adam is OK. For real though, if you want to talk about the deeper implications of the aliens in Prometheus, this is your man, right here. And ladies? He's single AND he has Star Wars bedsheets. (Probably. If Star Wars sheets are your thing, he's buying some right now.)



Who did I miss? I know I missed someone, apologies in advance! Share your blog in the comments, and happy reading!

Artsy-schmartsy

Last night I had a dream that FitC needed a new banner. I'm no graphic artist, but it's fun to play around with the images on the blog every once and awhile. What do you think? From this:

Black and white and read all over.

 To this:

Hey hey!

Our role model is feeling festive. Must be the holiday season!

In my dream, FitC had its own European oval country identification sticker. (My subconscious seems to think FitC is not an American-based endeavor.) So in case I'm driving and need to let the world know where I am from, there's also this:

Will brake for booze.

Lovely friends, I promise to add actual content to my blog soon. Real content, and not just poorly designed banners. Cross my heart.

Weekly Flâneur: Presidential

President...Cullen? Click to enlarge.

Pop culture president! 

 

While Barack Obama may have won the election, Manifest Discs & Tapes declares Edward Cullen the true leader of the free world. Consider it the Breaking Dawn of a new era. 

Manifest on South Blvd., Charlotte, N.C., 2012

Show and Tell

Time to kill the darlings. This is an excerpt from a story I am working on that will not make the cut. Maybe. Maybe not.

But here's a snug little home for these poor words on FitC.

Today, the sensation of sleeping while someone else is speaking.

Do you know it? It’s a half-dream, the sheets and pillows speaking, the voices weaving into the unconscious, becoinge part of the dream, part of the movements of the mind. The voices speaking aren’t real, and yet they are, but you, you deep dreamer, cannot tell the difference.

It is your mother’s voice coming from the lips of painted, narrow boat. The next door neighbor's shout becomes the thing of wings, bright and fearsome. The television droning now a companion in lucid wanderings. The voices that are heard not as yourself, but as a sleeper. I hear them often; they drift under doors to me, the sound of footsteps, of chatter, of laughter. When they come I stir, just a bit, not knowing who they belong to or where they come from. Wanting them to be silent. Sleep, always sleep, is the final solution to the girl you see in this bed.

The day rose, foggy, grey, with little difference between night and dawn. We were cold; the sheeps' moss bedding wasn’t fully dried. The still-green vines were hollow with water and absorbed the moist air under my stiff body. Never sleep on damp moss. It’s not as comfortable as it looks. The night before we grabbed it in sharp handfuls, hung it over the fire to dry out, smoke, but it wasn't hung long enough before our tired bodies claimed the moss for bedding.

I moan. A pert voice responds.

"Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey!"

To be continued?

Friday QuoteDay

“At thirteen desperately watching TV, curling my long legs under me, desperately reading books, callow adolescent that I was, trying (desperately!) to find someone in books, in movies, in life, in history, to tell me it was O. K. to be ambitious, O. K. to be loud, O. K. to be Humphrey Bogart (smart and rudeness), O. K. to be James Bond (arrogance), O. K. to be Superman (power), O. K. to be Douglas Fairbanks (swashbuckling), to tell me self-love was all right, to tell me I could love God and Art and Myself better than anything on earth and still have orgasms...

Alas, it was never meant for us to hear. It was never meant for us to know. We ought never be taught to read. We fight through the constant male refractoriness of our surroundings; our souls are torn out of us with such shock that there isn’t even any blood. 

Remember: I didn’t and don’t want to be a 'feminine' version or a diluted version or a special version or a subsidiary version or an ancillary version, or an adapted version of the heroes I admire. 

I want to be the heroes themselves.”

—  Joanna Russ, sci-fi, fantasy, and feminist theory writer, quote from The Female Man

Weekly Flâneur: Sweet Savannah

Where was Weekly Flâneur last week? Gearing up for today's mega-post!

Mr. B and I headed south to Savannah, Georgia for the Savannah Film Festival hosted by the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). The city was beautiful and the festival was a blast. Ready for some southern comfort? Treats below the jump! 

Opening night and the Savannah Film Fest Marquee

Anchors away!

River front living

Vote Vote Vote

Tomorrow is the big day for voting in the USA. Are you ready? Here's a couple of reminders before you head to your polling station:

Click to enlarge. Via Think Progress.

Click to enlarge. Via demnewswire.

FitC is supporting this awesome fellow. Babies love the 'Bama. See you at the polls!

Obama! Yes we can kiss babies. Via BarackObama.