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Relaxed vs. Natural Hair vs. Weaves vs. Dreads

OnSugar Blog — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:02:21 -0800

Here are highlights from OnSugar blog Krissy's One Stop Beauty Spot.

Women, especially black women, have the ability to change hairstyles like underwear. I support you ladies no matter what you do - just do it right and take care of your hair. For the most part we all practice the same principles when it comes to proper hair care (co-washing, ACV rinse, trims, deep conditioning, etc.). I'm always willing to help people with hair questions and concerns, or at least point them in the right direction. I know plenty of people in that area.

Where I stand on a lot of hair issues:

I'm anti kiddie perms and kiddie dreadlocks on children if they're at an age where they can't make that choice for themselves (unless, of course, it's part of your religion). It's not about the chemicals, it's about the fact that it's a permanent hairstyle on a child. What if your child decides they want to wear their natural hair? You'll have to either cut their hair to transition them to natural hair. Yes, you can remove dreads but unless someone can find me a "safe" method that doesn't damage the hair, then I won't be changing my mind about this.
I'm pro weaves and braids as long as it's done right and your hair is still being kept healthy. If your hair is being done too tight and coming out, it's time to find a new stylist.
I'm pro curly and natural hairstyles within corporate America. I hear a lot of natural haired beauties bragging about self-acceptance and mainstreaming natural hair, but they still search for corporate hairstyles because of their natural hair. A bun will always be conservative no matter what type of hair you have.
I've always encouraged hair dialogue among women of different nationalities. You'll be surprised by the things we all have in common. If your non-black friend is telling you about a great hair balm that she pays $15 for, take her on a trip to a local beauty supply store and show her where to buy it for $5.

Read the entire post here. Want to see more? Start following OnSugar blog Krissy's One Stop Beauty Spot or start your own OnSugar blog. Maybe your stories will be featured on BellaSugar.

Kate Moss is Branded as "Irresponsible" for Skinny Comments

FabSugarUK — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:21:29 -0800

When Kate Moss gave an interview to WWD about her new fragrance, I was pretty shocked to hear her reveal one of her mottoes – "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels". It seems to have been a bit of a slow burner in the news, but today it has landed the model in trouble as eating disorder charity Beat described the comments as "dangerous" and "very unhelpful".

Storm models released a statement saying that Kate's comments had "been taken out of context and completely misrepresented." They also added, "For the record - Kate does not support this as a lifestyle choice."

Former model Caprice has spoken out against Kate saying, "I don't even know why she said that. I really like her but it's so irresponsible." The saying is strongly associated with eating disorders and regularly appears on pro-anorexia websites.

In recent years there has been a lot of campaigns in place to tackle the so-called "size zero" including one set up by former Ultimo model Katie Green. She also branded Kate as "irresponsible" for her comments adding, "We are trying to get the government to put something in place to stamp out size zero models and comments like this aren't doing anything to help that." Do you think that Kate should know better, or do you believe that she has been misrepresented?

Abortion Coverage: Missing What Many Never Knew They Had

TresSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:00:03 -0800

One of the most convincing arguments for passing the public health plan without abortion coverage is that very few women use insurance to cover abortions to begin with. But if you've heard the statistic that only 13 percent of abortions are billed to insurers, that's not exactly the whole truth.

The Guttmacher Institute, the pro-choice organization responsible for the study the stats were pulled from, contests the 13 percent statistic has been taken out of context and widely used through the media - like, say, in the Wall Street Journal article we linked to yesterday.

While the study does say only 13 percent of first-term abortions are billed to private insurers, that figure is skewed because it looked at all women who had abortions and not just those who had insurance. You can't bill an insurer if you don't have one! The study also did not include women who paid for abortions up front and were later reimbursed.

So what's a realistic number? Nobody really knows because of the private nature of abortions. Another Guttmacher study found that 87 percent of employer-based insurance plans covered abortions, but a Kaiser Family Foundation study found that only 46 percent of covered workers reported coverage. Why such a big a difference? Many women just don't know their insurance covers abortion.

As Congress continues to debate the public health plan, do you care if it includes abortion coverage? Can we miss something so many women never knew they had?

Source: Flickr User amypritchizzle

Healthcare Bill Restricts Coverage For Abortions

TresSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:00:00 -0800

If you thought Democrats were pro-choice, you might want to think again. The recently passed healthcare bill coming out of the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives could significantly decrease access to abortion even for Americans on private insurance plans.

After a 290-194 vote, the House passed an amendment Saturday that bans the use of federal funds to cover abortion for anyone using the public healthcare plan. The amendment also prevents private insurers from covering abortions for anyone getting a tax credit to help pay premiums. The amendment is being called the biggest victory in years for abortion opponents.

Under the bill, there will be many more Americans receiving tax credits to help pay for insurance - any family of four making less than $88,000 a year will be eligible for the subsidies, and if they take the credits, they will not be allowed to use them to purchase a plan that covers abortion. Pro-choice advocates argue that the new legislation will lower access to abortion coverage even for those receiving no tax aide because private insurance companies will have an incentive to drop abortion coverage from their plans so they can compete for customers receiving federal subsidies. The implications could be substantial since right now 90 percent of insurers cover abortion to some extent.

Pressure from conservative Democrats and the pro-life lobby helped get the amendment passed. While I'm not surprised abortion isn't being treated like every other legal medical procedure, I am a little shocked that the bill's implications go so far to limit abortion coverage for women who are not receiving any federal funding. Do you think the House did the right thing?

Dear Poll: Are You Pro-Choice or Pro-Life?

DearSugar — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:16:54 -0700

On Wednesday, I asked you what you would do if you found out you were pregnant right now, and the results weren't all that shocking. Just behind "keeping the baby even if you weren't trying" (39 percent) was "having an abortion," with 31 percent of the poll votes.

Based on your comments, some of you seemed to be pro-choice, some of you pro-life, and some of you seemed to be indifferent. While abortions have a profound stigma attached to them, we are all entitled to our own opinions, so what I want to know is....

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On the Newsstand: Evangelical Minister is Pro-Choice

LibertySugar — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:00:24 -0700

Americans have been having the same abortion debate for decades. But, the latest issue of Newsweek profiled an Evangelical minister with an unlikely position. Minister Adam Hamilton thinks abortion should be legal and available, and that it might actually be necessary in rare situations.

In his book "Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White" Hamilton explains that as a Christian minister his duty is to support people no matter what they chose. He urges passionate pro-choice and pro-life supporters to unite around common ground, and work together to decrease the number of abortions. To see how this issue affects him very personally, read more.

According to Newsweek Hamilton labels himself as "pro-choice with a heavy heart." The article explains:

As for his heavy heart, Hamilton comes by it honestly. Seven years ago he received a letter from a parishioner describing her own teenage pregnancy in the years before Roe, the pressure from her parents to abort and her refusal to do so-in spite of the cost. That letter was from his mother.

The fact that an evangelical minister feels compelled to confront the nation's abortion narrative may indicate that many Americans have a moderate attitude toward abortion. Maybe many don't really relate to the extreme rhetoric that characterizes the public debate. Why do you think the debate has been so heated for so long? Is it distracting the polarized sides from finding effective ways to reduce abortions?

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Ali G: Pissin' Everybody Off At A Pro-Choice Rally

GiggleSugar — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 08:00:00 -0700

Sacha Baron Cohen's Ali G character is such a wanker, but what a funny wanker he is! In this clip, he reassures a pro-choice lesbian activist couple, "I love lesbians--I have loads of your videos," tells marchers "I's totally into abortion--I've been responsible for at least five," and yells "Free Nelson Mandela" in the middle of a rally. But it's his addition of beat box noises to an earnest rendition of "We Shall Overcome" that will slay you.

Guess What Breed Super Quiz: Terrier Puppy Edition!

PetSugar — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:50:59 -0700

It's that time again - Puppy time! To narrow down the adoro faces and breed choices, all the pooches seen here have the word "terrier" in their breed name. If you think you're a pro with these types, then test yourself and see if you can call out the cute.

Question 1 of 8

This is a baby:

Majority of Americans Now Pro-Life, What About You?

TresSugar — Fri, 15 May 2009 10:30:00 -0700

The United States is pro-life. Well at least a majority of Americans are. A new Gallup poll shows that 51 percent of American adults call themselves pro-life, compared to 42 percent who consider themselves pro-choice. This is the first time a majority of adults identify as pro-life.

Just last year, 50 percent of Americans were pro-choice, compared to 44 percent pro-life. So the current numbers mark a significant shift. Gallup concluded that more Republicans have begun to identify as pro-life, while abortion views among Democrats haven't budged. Why do you think that is?

Of course, different views regarding the legality of abortion can live within the pro-life or pro-choice designation. For example, someone who considers themselves pro-life may support legal abortion in the case of rape or incest, while another pro-life person may want abortion illegal in all cases. Diverse opinions notwithstanding, the majority of Americans seem to believe that human fetuses have a right to life. Where do you stand?

How Republican Meg Whitman Plans on Winning Women's Vote

TresSugar — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 07:00:00 -0700

Last week San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom announced his candidacy for CA governor with a tweet heard round the state. But he's not the only candidate with technological savvy. Meg Whitman, the former CEO of Internet giant eBay, announced her bid back in February. Whitman, a Republican, wants to become the first woman to run the golden state. She was a national co-chair of John McCain's campaign, but her work experience lies in the private sector.

I chatted with the chair of Meg's Women's Coalition, Jillian Manis, to find out how Meg plans to appeal to women for votes. From our conversation, I got the sense that Meg sees herself as a different breed of Republican than, say, a certain female governor from Alaska.

While she's fiscally conservative, Meg is pro-choice and has a bit of a tangled stance on gay marriage - she voted for Prop. 8 because she personally feels marriage should be between a man and a woman, but she claims to respect everyone's position. In other words, she doesn't want to make opposition to same-sex marriage a crucial plank in her platform. Here's a recap of my conversation with Jillian.

Why will Meg appeal to women?
First of all, I don't think women vote for a gender. I really don't think they vote for a party for the most part, either. I think they vote for the person. And I think that Meg is a person that represents a leadership perspective that is both domestic and global, which will be extremely helpful right now as this world is flat and we do need to create relationships with other states and countries to move our state forward. (By working at eBay) she understands what interdependence is, what community building is.
Positions on female reproductive rights, especially abortion, typically separate the two parties. How does Meg explain her pro-choice position, since it's unlikely for a Republican candidate?
I think Meg has always preached inclusion. I think she very much respects people's choices. . . She's not going to force her own personal choices on others. That's not about working together that's about driving each other apart. I would say I'm socially moderate and fiscally conservative, but that has been redefined here in California and definitely in the Republican party. We are definitely more progressive and more inclusive than the rest of the country vis-a-vis our party. I know Sarah Palin doesn't represent me.
So Meg is pro-choice because she doesn't want to force her own choices on others. How was her Pro Proposition 8 stance consistence with her stance on abortion?

To see Jillian's response to this question, and for more on Meg's thoughts on gay marriage, read more.

Meg never gave money to Prop 8. She never made a public stand on Prop 8. It basically came down to when she went into the voting booth she voted for her personal choice. And that is something we have to respect. It doesn't mean she's going to change the laws. I am personally pro-life, but I am publicly pro-choice. I would never force my choice, nor would she, on somebody else.
Miss California came out against gay marriage personally, which she says cost her the crown. Obviously Miss USA and governor are different, but do you think that Meg's personal support of a constitutional amendment that ended gay marriage could derail her chance to be governor?
Well, I would hope not because we have too many big problems on our plate here in California and everything that Meg Whitman represents should be weighed equally. . . Her ability to stimulate this economy, to give people jobs, to re-energize, to apply technology to make government more efficient, to look at clean tech solutions for our environment, these are things that we should look at. . . So to make gay marriage the center piece of this election than shame us! And by the way we need to respect her as she's respecting us. And she does respect a women's right to choice and she does respect every body's choice.

From what you've read, do you think Meg sounds like a different kind of Republican candidate, or do you find her stances predictable?

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