December 8, 2009 by Queen Unique

Are you getting the H1N1 shot for yourself or your family? Before you make that decision please read on…
The following are the ingredient lists, warnings and side effects for vaccines currently scheduled to be administered to populations worldwide for the H1N1 swine flu. Not one scientific study has ever established the long-term safety of adjuvants and none have ever been approved for use in vaccines for humans!!!
International Chart of ALL H1N1 Vaccines By Country
Additional Charts
SOURCE: PreventDisease.com
Posted in All Things Parenting, For OUR Daughters, Health/Fitness, Link-Ups | Tagged H1N1 shot, H1N1 vaccine, swine flu shot, swine flu vaccine | Leave a Comment »
December 8, 2009 by Queen Unique
Obama puts $3.5B toward fixing failing schools – The Obama administration will spend at least $3.5 billion to push local officials around the country to close failing schools and reopen them with new teachers and principals…
Obama to kids: The press is gone, now ask me the tough questions – President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan sat down today with students at James C. Wright Middle School in Madison, Wis., but dismissed reporters after four minutes…
Cuts Loom for School Arts – For 9-year-old Ferran Romero, there is no sweeter sound than the boisterous bellows of his trombone. “It sounds like an elephant,” Ferran said as he balanced the brass instrument, nearly his size. The fourth-grade student from Topeka Drive Elementary started playing the trombone last year thanks to a Los Angeles Unified program that brings music, dance, theater and art classes to every elementary school in the district…
The influence game: Bill Gates pushes education reform – Not content with shaping education directly through schools, the biggest player in the school reform movement has an eye on moving education policy.
Does more time in class produce higher achievement? – Does more time on task matter in student achievement? A new study suggests it may for middle and high school students. In state math and language art exams, students in schools that have extended time scored three to eight points higher than their counterparts ts in middle grades and in 10th grade. (The study only looked at 10th grade in high school.)
Secretary Duncan says grants are for education reforms - With states jockeying for extra school dollars from the economic stimulus, Education Secretary Arne Duncan reminded them Tuesday the point is to help kids do better…
Education secretary stresses need for strong new teachers – U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan appealed Friday for a new generation of extraordinary teachers, calling education the civil rights cause of our time.
Students write letters about year-round school - My name is Pat Bohl. I am the fifth-grade social studies and language arts teacher at West Central Elementary School in Humboldt.I currently am doing a civic education program known as Project Citizen in one of my social studies classes. The class must work on changing or enacting new policies. This class chose to try to develop a year-round school at West Central. The following are six of their best proposals. Please print them for me. Thank you…
Obama education chief Duncan to push schools reform – US Education Secretary Arne Duncan plans to challenge educators, civil rights groups and others to put aside “tired arguments” about education reform to help him craft a sweeping reauthorization of federal education legislation by early 2010…
Teachers’ pay would be tied to test scores under Obama plan – States that want a piece of the Obama administration’s $4.35 billion Race to the Top Fund for schools must hew to internationally benchmarked academic standards and let schools pay teachers and principals more if they work in hard-to-staff schools — or if student scores improve on basic skills tests…
Posted in Advocating for Kids, All Things Parenting, Education, For OUR Daughters, Link-Ups, My President is Black, Political, Things I Love | Tagged Arne Duncan, education reform, Kids education, Latest in education, Obama and Education | 2 Comments »
December 4, 2009 by Queen Unique

Designed by the one and only multi-faceted NativeSun803 (yes, my co-host & bestie!)
Find out more at: www.239AcousticAffairs.com
Posted in Entertainment, Girl Power, Inspirational/Motivational, Things I Love, acoustic affairs, please & thank you | Tagged acoustic affairs, acousticaffairs, fort myers, k.l. shanks, poetry open mic, queen speaks, queen unique, queendom, queens pen, queenspeaks, queenspen, queenunique | Leave a Comment »
November 30, 2009 by Queen Unique

Miss Natural "Erykah Badu"
Peace & blessings fam, I haven’t blogged in awhile so I figured it would be wise to drop a blog on my natural hair journey. Don’t know if you know it yet but the natural hair revolution is TAKING OVER! I’ve permed my hair only once (Easter 2009) in about two years now so my hair is much thicker, healthier and longer. When I first made the decision, my hair was very brittle and damaged from perming, frying and dying my hair so this is a HUGE difference from where I began although I’m still “training” my hair. I won’t say its an easy road, its much simpler to perm it but the rewards are much greater when natural you feel a sense of self-assurance and strength. I will have photo updates soon but in the meantime, here’s a list of products that I’ve been using that work very well. Click each to be redirected to sites with more info…
Now my hair is FAR from straight, its very bushy and kinky and draws up like CUH-RAZY when I wash it so immediately after shampooing my hair, I apply the replenishing packet, shower cap and drying bonnet for about 15-30 minutes. Rinse well, spray down with Infusium23, part off 4 sections, detangle gently and cut about 1/2 inch of split ends (if its that time). Next, I take each portion, part with my fingers put in single medium sized plats, 2 strand twists (about 10-15 per section) or I use only two sections and do 8-10 cornrows just to switch the hair pattern up so I don’t get any separation or train my hair into a certain direction. Lastly, I apply the anti-thinning stimulant to my edges and Shea butter over my entire head, wrap in silk scarf and sleep on silk pillowcase to avoid losing any moisture.
Hope this helps!
Posted in Beauty Tips, Black History, Education, For OUR Daughters, Girl Power, Health/Fitness, Inspirational/Motivational, Love You Some You, Natural Hair Journey, Things I Love | Leave a Comment »
November 17, 2009 by Queen Unique
Posted in Entertainment, For OUR Daughters, Girl Power, Inspirational/Motivational, L.O.V.E., Things I Love | Tagged alicia keys, alicia keys try sleeping with a broken heart, heavy repeat, new music, try sleeping with a broken heart | Leave a Comment »
November 17, 2009 by Queen Unique
…and I’m here to drop at least ONE reason why lol! My venue is BACK in the 239!!

…be back with more lame ass excuses later
Forgive me? *bats eyelashes*
Posted in Entertainment, For OUR Daughters, Girl Power, Inspirational/Motivational | Tagged acoustic affairs, fort myers events, lee county, poery and the arts, poetry venue, spoken word venue | Leave a Comment »
October 22, 2009 by Queen Unique
ACT UP! Creative Concoctions, Ages 8 – 11
Florida Rep is proud to continue their ACT UP programming, designed especially for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Students will explore their fun side with exercises in creative movement, verbal and non-verbal communication and social interaction. Taught by Florida Rep’s Education Director, Rachael Endrizzi and assisted by Florida Gulf Coast University’s Occupational Therapy department, this 8-week course promises to stretch imaginations and offer a fun, imaginative outlet for all students.
Tuesdays (except Nov. 10) 5:00 – 6:30pm
Oct. 27, Nov. 3, 13*, 17, 24, Dec. 8, 15
Instructor: Rachael Endrizzi
Alliance for the Arts; Edwards Building
8 Weeks – $150 (Limited Enrollment)

ACT UP! Drama Workshop, Ages 11 – 18
As Florida Rep’s ACT UP program expands, we are thrilled to offer arts education to older students on the Autism Spectrum. Class activities will include scene study, improvisation and creative movement. Taught by Florida Rep’s Education Director, Rachael Endrizzi and assisted by Florida Gulf Coast University’s Occupational Therapy department, students can explore their creative side in a safe, fun-filled classroom.
Mondays 4:30 – 6:00pm November 9 – December 14
Instructor: Rachael Endrizzi
Florida Rep Studio 6 Weeks – $125 (Limited Enrollment)
To Enroll or for more information, contact:
Rachael Endrizzi
Education Director
Florida Repertory Theatre
239-332-4665 ext. 20
http://www.floridarep.org/
Posted in Advocating for Kids, All Things Parenting, Autism, Entertainment | Tagged Alliance for the Arts, Autism classes, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Creative Concoctions, Florida repertory Theatre | 1 Comment »
September 9, 2009 by Queen Unique

Andreas Hale, former BET.com Executive Editor of Music
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! *kicks up feet on desk*
Doesn’t it feel GREAT when your innermost instincts are verified in black & white?! You see, BET has exploited us for soooo long & its about time someone gives em a taste of their own medicine except in this case… its TRUTH. This is probably the ONLY time I’ll agree that snitchin’ is appreciated. All in all, thank you, Mr. Hale and if this is INDEED a book in the making… I’ll take TWO. If Karrine can be a best seller, I’ll be damned if you should not. Go get em!
“As someone who has been critical of BET for many years, it surprised many that I would leave my post at HipHopDX last year to take a position at BET. But it was an opportunity I absolutely had to take. I could no longer be critical of this company without accepting the opportunity to change it when given. Although I was hired to bring about change, I was systematically shut down. I wasn’t hired to make noise, I was hired to be silenced. The truth of the matter is that everything that you thought was wrong with BET is true.”
Click here for the email in its entirety…

Posted in Black History, Race Matters, please & thank you, rants | Tagged Andreas Hale, B.E.T., BET, BET.com executive editor of music, Black Exploitation Television | Leave a Comment »
September 9, 2009 by Queen Unique

I’m almost positive you’ve heard all the controversy about 18-year old South African athlete Caster Semenya who was ordered to undergo sex-verification tests after winning last month’s 800m final at the World Athletics Championships. You see, sista girl won the gold medal in Berlin in 1 minute 55.45 seconds (the best in the world for 2009) beating Janeth Jepkosgei, the defending champion, by 2.45 seconds. I mean, no waaaaay could an African woman do that right? *side-eye*
But I digress…
Anyway, the aforementioned “tests” necessary to determine the gender of an athlete are described as “an extremely complex procedure” involving medics, scientists, gynecologists (geesh) and psychologists, the outcome of which is not expected for several weeks.
Question: Albeit we can all agree Caster Semenya truly does look MUCH more feminine since her makeover which debuted in “You” magazine, but do you believe it was something she was “forced” to do? Has America bullied her to conform to what we believe a woman “should” look like? Why should Caster have to step outside her comfort zone just to pacify those who live in that box? I mean, was the gender test NOT enough?!
Now she is quoted as saying:
“I’d like to dress up more often and wear dresses but I never get the chance”
but does she REALLY have a choice? Sound off…

“God made me the way I am and I accept myself.” – C. Semenya
PS: By the way, thanks, America for making Caster’s first experience competing outside of Africa choked full of controversy, humiliation, sexism and drama. Yep, land of the free & home of the brave, you rock!
Posted in Entertainment, For OUR Daughters, Girl Power, Health/Fitness, Love You Some You, Race Matters, This Some BULLish!, please & thank you, rants | Tagged Caster Semenya | 7 Comments »
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