COVERBOYS AND CRYING MEN
By Gigi

Are some men becoming soft? …Ladies, if you’re sick of all the over-grooming that men are doing, please raise your hands. If you’re sick of all the men who pluck and shape their eyebrows and in fact, will nudge you in haste to get the last moisturizer at the Clinique counter...lets hear your searing wail!!! I’m so sick of men with their better complexions and manicures; all this metro sexual stuff has become annoying and has gone too far. And I’m blaming this on all the makeover reality shows, plastic surgery shows, Snoop Dogg, Ice T and the Southern pimps. What ever happened to real male machismo? Men should get back to having real huevos or cojones and stop all this nonsense. Better still, I prefer a man who is hombria or un verdadero hombre...which means manliness, courage, integrity, honesty and uprightness. Because if I see another African-American or Latino brother with pigtails, bouncing, permed, candy curls like Shirley Temple or afro puffs like Pam Grier, I don’t know what I’ll do.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME….
By Gigi

My birthday this year landed on October 2nd, Tuesday; however I was feeling blue the day before and couldn’t muster up the energy or enthusiasm—in fact, I wasn’t looking forward to my birthday at all. At work, I received the requisite cake, flowers and card from my co-workers; but a good personal friend of mind had five additional gorgeous bouquets consisting of 3 dozen roses with baby’s breath (3 different colors), Birds of paradise bouquet and daisies with baby’s breath delivered to me, which I appreciated (thanks boo, XOXOXO).

I guess my feeling blue, stems from not yet being where I want to be professionally as a writer and artist. My horoscope stated that, it was important for me to continue to take things easy and let life come to me. And since I’m a writer, my horoscope further stated, to let my imagination roam because something I had visualized over and over, could turn out to be more than just another idle daydream. I’m not sure what that means exactly; but I’m not willing to be obsequious or climb the greasy pole to fame and fortune. I’d rather keep my hand clean, relatively speaking.

Success in this world is fleeting and often requires unwelcome sacrifices. But also, success appears to pick and choose who it is that will be celebrated and who won’t. It could be sour grapes on my part, but I see some “celebrities” undeserving of this honor; they basically ‘lucked up’ or they know people who know people…some of these people contribute nothing other than salacious gossip for reality TV or the celebrity rags. Oh hell, I’m rambling…never mind. Happy Birthday Gigi, you still look fabulous!!!