Business - Relationships - Health & Fitness - Entertainment
Vonetta Booker-Brown is a freelance writer and the owner of home-based virtual assistance practice Right Hand Concepts, in which she provides remote administrative support, copywriting services and web design to businesses & entrepreneurs nationwide. She has written career, fitness, relationship and entertainment articles for various publications, and she is also the creator/editor of urban lifestyle e-zine Triscene.com.
Your
Content Without Consent: How to guard against Internet plagiarism If you’re a small business/marketing professional who writes, then you’re probably aware that creating articles and other content is one of the best ways to market your business and increase your search engine visibility—I can speak from experience! However, a very real downside to this is the increasing amount of plagiarism (when someone takes another’s written work and tries to pass it off on their own) on the Web. Unfortunately, it’s something that’s fairly easy to do, due to the vastness of the Internet. Many plagiarists think, “Sure, I can lift this copy or ‘borrow’ that sentence—who’s really going to find out?” As a matter of fact, this article comes from an incident that I recently experienced, in which I happened to come across the website of an Alabama-based virtual assistant. To say her site’s copy looked “familiar” would be a gross understatement; lo and behold, as it turned out, this woman’s entire 6-page site was filled with verbatim copy from my website, www.righthandconcepts.com (even down to the interview-style “Frequently Asked Questions” page, where she left my quotes intact and merely replaced my company name with hers!) It was so blatant and absurd, it was almost funny in a twisted, “no, she didn’t!” kind of way. But plagiarism isn’t a laughing matter—especially when you’ve worked hard to create good copy that informs customers and increases your sales and visibility. Here are some ways that you can guard against it—and what to do if you find someone’s pilfered your content without your consent. Utilize anti-plagiarism resources. There are a couple of good ones out there; I like to use Copyscape.com (which is how I found out about the woman mentioned above). At this website, you can enter the URL of your choice, and it immediately pulls up any online instances of copy that looks suspiciously similar to yours. You can then go to the site and check further to see whether they’ve actually stolen your copy (it could also be someone whom you’ve granted permission to post your article on their site). Copyscape is free, and also has little “Do Not Copy” banners that you can add to your site’s pages. Although Copyscape can’t prevent plagiarism, it’s a great way to monitor against copy thieves. Okay—so, let’s say that like me, you unfortunately did come across someone trying to pass your copy off as their own. Now what? The first line of defense is to let the offending party know that you know what they’ve been up to. In my case, the woman’s name, address, telephone number and email address was right there on her “Contact” page (ironically, the only copy that wasn’t lifted from my site), so I was able to both call and email her, letting her know that I was onto her & to remove my copy (basically, her whole website) immediately. However, some sites may not have the owner’s info readily available. If you can’t find out who owns the site just from browsing it, you may find vital information by doing a WHOIS search of the owner’s domain registration info. This will usually give you a name, address and phone number. (One way to find WHOIS information is by going to NetworkSolutions.com, and clicking on the WHOIS link at the bottom of the page.) When you locate and contact the individual, let them know that they’ve infringed on your copyrighted material, and to remove it immediately. If it’s an article of yours, however, another option is to have them credit your work appropriately, along with a link back to your website (this gives you more search engine visibility). “Cease and desist” letters are very effective, as well—you can find samples online at the following websites: http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/intellectualproperty/contract/cease.htm Although you can send these yourself, it may be more effective if you have your attorney send it. In any case, be sure to copy any other parties you’ve contacted about the matter (i.e. search engines, the offender’s ISP provider, web host, etc.). What if they don’t comply? In this case, you have a couple of other options: Alert the site’s web host and ISP provider to what’s going on—under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), they are obligated to respond to and remove any proven copyright infringing material. Oh—and don’t forget the search engines—you can also contact whichever ones the offending site appears on; they’re also bound by DMCA. To find guidelines, you can do a Web search on the search engine’s name and “copyright infringement” or “Digital Millennium Copyright Act.” Google’s guidelines, for example, are found at www.google.com/dmca.html. Another downside (as if there’s an upside!) to Internet plagiarism is that it might sometimes be hard to distinguish whose copy came first, and your own legitimate text could suffer a decrease in search engine ranking (as they don’t take kindly to that sort of thing!). So, it’s important that you support your case with evidence that your web text was indeed online first. Take screen shots of the involved sites, WHOIS records, evidence of when copy was posted, etc. As I said, unfortunately there’s no surefire way to prevent someone from plagiarizing your copy—but hopefully, these tips will help you shut the offender down. Oh, and in case you’re wondering what became of the woman who lifted my web copy: When I called her on the phone and confronted her, she claimed that she didn’t know about the site and didn’t know how the information got there. (Yeah, right…) Nonetheless, after informing her of my intentions, her site was down within the next hour—pretty quick for someone who didn’t know what I was talking about, huh? Internet plagiarist depend on the Web’s vastness to help mask their deceit, but a bit of a watchful eye over your content can keep them in check. Good luck! © Copyright 2006 Vonetta Booker-Brown. All rights reserved. Business - Relationships - Health & Fitness - Entertainment Is
running a home-based business right for you? So you have this great business idea that you’ve been dying to launch; the boss has been working your last nerve, and you figure you could use some more time with your family and no commute. In that case, starting your own home-based business seems like the perfect solution, right? Perhaps, but before you take that leap and give Boss Man or Lady your two-week notice, here are some things to consider: Adapting
to a home-biz schedule Assess
your finances Telecommuting
as an option Two
traits to have… So, as the saying goes--“Look before you leap!” Take a moment or two to think about the above tips, and apply them to your success. Good luck! © Copyright 2006 Vonetta Booker-Brown. All rights reserved. Business - Relationships - Health & Fitness - Entertainment The
Spirit of Holiday Savvy On your mark, get set—go! It’s that time again—and it seems like the holiday season is kicking off earlier every year. The day after Thanksgiving (aka “Black Friday”) is widely known as the year’s busiest shopping day, and it’s the official start to a month or so of frenzied spending and budget-blowing, in addition to “holiday cheer.” Here are some tips to keep you from going crazy or broke during the season: Don’t give in to the hype. It seems that according to the commercials and advertisements, you’re a horrible person if you don’t purchase the latest X-Box for your loved one. Don’t worry—you’re not! Although it might be a bit clichéd at this point, there is truth to the saying, it’s the thought that counts—and a gift’s value isn’t necessarily measured by its price tag. So, don’t be ashamed to create (and stick to) a budget that helps you avoid credit card hangover. With friends, perhaps discuss beforehand foregoing presents and exchanging holiday cards, instead. For family members, give simpler, more meaningful gifts like a nicely-framed snapshot of the kids or grandkids, or a book relating to their favorite holiday or interest. If you have an extensive CD collection, perhaps burn a custom CD of favorite songs. (You can often get “used” books and CDs in brand-new condition at half-price on sites like Amazon.com or Half.com.) Shop online instead. Every year, we see the “Black Friday” news coverage—5am lines snaking around the mall’s perimeter, folks getting trampled in the stampede that ensues when the doors first open, and fisticuffs breaking out over that last 75%-off digital camera. Maybe that sort of thing gives you a certain rush—but if you’re anything like me, you can’t be bothered with the madness! Online shopping can be a great alternative to dealing with long lines, pushy shoppers and a hectic pace—but stay savvy. Do business with reputable companies and sites you already know, and really research the ones that are new to you. Review the site’s privacy, security, shipping and return policies—and never give out your social security number (there’s no need for them to have it, and could lead to identity theft). Also, the safest way to shop online is with your credit card, as you’re protected under the federal Fair Credit Billing Act in the event that something goes awry. (For more online shopping tips, see the PrivacyRights.org article, “E-Commerce and You: Online Shopping Tips.”) Don’t get scammed! Unfortunately, there are some lowlifes out there who take advantage of the whole “holiday spirit” thing, by preying on consumers with legitimate-sounding scams. A con artist favorite is the “fake charity,” where people (or even kids) will contact you about donating to the cause and “helping those less fortunate.” However, you’ll be the “less fortunate” one if you’re taken by one of these. Keep your eyes open with online auctions, as well—and don’t forget to pay with your credit card, so that you can dispute the charge if you don’t get what you paid for. “Phishing”
is also big—this is when scam artists send you official-looking
emails purporting to be from leading banks and companies, asking
you for personal info and playing on “security” issues.
For more information on how to identify and avoid phishing scams,
see the MSN Money article “‘Phishing’ scams:
How to avoid getting hooked.” © Copyright 2005 Vonetta Booker-Brown. All rights reserved. Business - Relationships - Health & Fitness - Entertainment Seven
Easy Ways to Get (and Stay) Organized Make
a list…take some time. Templates
are your friends. Say
“no” to Pack Rat-ism. Say
“no”…period! Do
the “To-Do.” The
Paperless Wonder Get
support for your success
Business - Relationships - Health & Fitness - Entertainment
From "Nine-to-Fiver" to Entrepreneur Starting and running your own business is exciting, but it’s also hard work. Here are some tips for a smooth transition to full-time entrepreneur. By Vonetta Booker-Brown Assess
your assets Test
the waters Resign
professionally
From employer to client Keep
it positive!
Business
- Relationships - Health
& Fitness - Entertainment Making
the Release By Vonetta Booker-Brown So, you and your business have a great product, event or “rags-to-riches” story that you’re dying to spread the word about--because you just know that once people hear the news, they’re goin to want to know more about what you have to offer. You can already hear the “cha-ching!” sound as new customers beat a path to your door. The question is…how are you going to get the word out? The answer…a great press release. A press release is a great way to gain free publicity (and who doesn’t want that?) for your business & services. How you write one can make all the difference between getting media coverage for your business—and your crumpled-up press release covering the bottom of an editor’s trash can. So, here are some tips on how you can hopefully achieve the former. Use
the proper setup… Grab
‘em quick & fast… “So,
what’s in it for me?” Be
a trend keeper-upper… Tap
into human interest… Target
(and I don’t mean the store)… Be
a distribution machine… Once you find your contact’s email address, send your release in the body of the email, prefaced by a quick introduction and query (no more than a few lines long). Avoid attachments when possible—because of virus scares, journalists aren’t likely to open them if they’re from an unfamiliar source. The
big follow-up… Make regular, well-written press releases a part of your marketing campaign, and you're sure to get people talking about & paying attention to your business. Good luck!
Business - Relationships - Health & Fitness - Entertainment The Staying Power of E (Fairfield
County Weekly) The Norwalk-based green magazine outlasts its competitors
to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Ah, the environmental craze of the early ‘90s. Fueled by the good intentions of Earth Day’s 20th anniversary in 1990, everything green was suddenly tres chic; sort of like the “new black.” From hordes of celebrities doing pro-recycling commercials and screaming “Take It Back!” to Halloweeners dress as big, fat, walking globes, not only was saving the planet important—to many, it was also the cool, “in” thing to do. It seemed as though everything was being made from recycled paper—including the slew of green magazines that debuted at that time, such as Garbage, Buzzworm, Trilogy and E (The Environmental Magazine). “The 1990 Earth Day recruited a whole lot of people, and a lot of them have since gotten out of it,” says Jim Motavalli, editor of E. “But those people weren’t real serious about it, anyway—you have to expect that. But there is a fairly high level of casual environmental awareness among people,” he points out. A decade later, E is the only one of the aforementioned independent green magazines still in business. The Norwalk-based bimonthly celebrates its 10th year publishing this year. The magazine’s editorial breadth includes everything from recycling to rainforests, personal to political. “We offer a nice mix of investigative stories and personal lifestyle topics, all aimed at inspiring and empowering readers to make positive personal lifestyle changes that benefit the environment,” says executive editor Doug Moss, during an interview at E’s small, no-frills office. Moss is surrounded by two phones—one for magazine business (“That’s my ‘E’ phone,” he quips), the other for Douglas Forms, his side printing business that’s partly responsible for those annoying subscription “invoice notices” that seem to come in the mail once a week. “I kinda wear two hats in the course of a typical day,” he chuckles. Moss and his wife Deborah Kamlani didn’t lack the inspirational fodder for starting E in 1988, what with medical waste washing up on New Jersey beaches, fires in Yellowstone Park and other global environmental problems that were garnering increasing media attention. E rolled off the press with its first issue in the midst of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. That environmental disaster showed the world how little a corporation like Exxon really cared about the Alaskan coastline and habitat. Since then, E has received a number of awards and citations. Noted magazine analyst Samir Husni called E one of the few magazine “hits” of 1990. It won two Utne Reader magazine excellence awards for “Best New Magazine” and “Best Special Interest Magazine.” Not to mention the kudos given by Project Censored for covering “issues and topics overlooked by the mainstream press.” And Moss wants to make sure the “mainstream” media doesn’t get used to doing just that. “We’re trying to make a case, because we don’t want to preach to the choir,” he says. “Look at the state of our media—obsessions with Monica Lewinsky and all that stuff,” he points out. “The American public’s being dumbed down by this crap. So, we need to really bolster a good progressive media to support at least some of the points of light, to be successful. That’s one of the reasons we’re good to have around, because we influence other coverage.” With a circulation of 56,000, E doesn’t have the reach of larger magazines. But the heavy syndication of its articles more than makes up for it. Stories such as “Recycling is Garbage” and articles on male breast cancer have run (respectively) in The New York Times and the Chicago Sun-Times, among many others. And remember that August 1998 Weekly cover story on environmental racism titled “Don’t Dump On Me?” You know, the one with that cute little girl holding her nose while standing in front of a sewage plant? Yep, you guessed it—an E reprint. “Chances are, there were a lot more people reading the Chicago Sun-Times piece than read our magazine per year,” laughs Moss. Another thing that sets E apart is that it’s independent and not a mouthpiece of a large environmental group like the National Audobon Society or Sierra Club, for example. “Garbage was a lot like E in terms of the way it looked,” says Moss. “But it was a bit more conservative than we are. A lot of the environmental community didn’t like that kind of attitude like, they would run ads for GE inside their front cover promoting their plastics, and inside the back cover, they would do a little feature trashing some poor little green company for being impure.” Ah, yes—there’s the rub. What does a small magazine do when it comes to advertising? Sell its soul to run big, money-making “Every Day is Earth Day at Exxon” ads? Or, stay true to principle and eke it out on much smaller revenue? “It can be a challenge, because we’d accept only environmentally-friendly products or those that are all-natural or organic,” says E advertising director Karen Soucy. In order to make sure a potential advertiser isn’t secretly dumping toxic waste into rivers on the side, the staff does research on the companies, and then shares the information during staff meetings. “Although we have turned down advertising from some corporations when we’ve felt their interest wouldn’t be best suited for our readers, there still seems to be a healthy group of advertisers we can contact and work with,” she says, citing Aubrey Organics and Maytag as E advertisers. “It’s certainly not as wide a universe as if we were a mainstream magazine, but it’s fun challenge—especially because they may not know we exist, or vice versa. But when we connect, it’s a perfect combination.” Business - Relationships - Health & Fitness - Entertainment How to Pitch: Honey (MediaBistro.com) Your tip sheet, straight from the editors. By Vonetta Booker-Brown The
typical "Honey girl," as the editors affectionately
call her, is an African-American between the ages of 18 and 34.
Front-of-book sections include "Fusion," a mix of short
pieces on what's currently hot in music, movies, books, and film,
and the "Get Ahead Guide, which features career tips. Features
mix saucy relationship articles ("Is He Cheating, Or Are
You Just Jealous?") with takes on large social issues, like
HIV in the black community. Cover stories, like at many mags,
are often celebs. "When we think of our cover subjects,"
says features editor Denene Millner, "we think of people
who are looked up to, and who young women of color appreciate
and want to emulate; who they can draw What
to pitch: The small staff of editors is looking for well-structured
pitches that reflect the Honey reader's interests. And what are
the readers interested in? "They are of a generation that
is interested in things not just African-American," Barnett
has said. "They watch Girlfriends, but also Sex and the City.
They listen to Jill Scott but also to Dido." The best areas
for new writers to break into Honey, according to Millner, are
the first person, 600-word The editors are also open to new-writer pitches on relationship articles. For example, writer Alexandra Mace recently contributed "Dating By Numbers," a tongue-in-cheek piece that included items about new places to meet a guy—along with "clues that he's fronting." Millner says that this is the best way for her and her co-editors to get acquainted with a writer's work, and for writers to move up to writing larger features for the magazine. "If it's good, I'd certainly call back and say, 'Hey, this was well-written, you take direction well, perhaps you'd be interested in writing some larger features for us'," Millner says. Cover stories and larger features are generally done by seasoned writers they've worked with in the past. What not to pitch: Although it may seem obvious, Millner stresses that would-be new writers study Honey's content and back issues before pitching—and that, yes, she sometimes receives pitches about ideas that have nothing to do with the magazine whatsoever. "I've gotten pitches about 50-year olds who own vineyards in California," she says. "It sounds like a great story, but not a Honey story." Pitches
that lack detail are another faux pas. "Don't just send a
two-line email," Millner says, "especially if you're
not a writer we've worked with or recognize. If all you say is,
'I'd like to write a story on such-and-such,' there's nothing
we can do with that, because we don't know if you can write that.
We're not going to assign a 2500-word story to Recent freelance stories pitched and published: "How To Tell If a Guy Is Playing You (And If So, Why Are You Still With Him?)," which was featured in Honey's May 2002 issue. "The writer was new and I'd never heard of her, but her pitch was good and her story was really solid," says Millner. "She took direction really well." Etiquette: The editors at Honey like to get pitches by e-mail. "That's the quickest way for me to look at it," Millner says. Clips should be attached electronically, if possible; otherwise writers should add at the query's end that samples will be coming in the mail. Ideas that may be of interest get "filed" under their respective subject categories, discussed at monthly editorial meetings and are given a go-ahead if agreed upon by the four top editors. "Calling every five minutes is not advisable!" says Millner, recalling a freelancer who chewed out one of the editors over the phone for not responding to a query she sent a few days prior. (Needless to say, they didn't buy her article.) Business
- Relationships - Health
& Fitness - Entertainment Will You Marry Me? (Essence.com) One couple's story of love--lost, then found--and happily ever after. By Vonetta Booker-Brown
Vonetta's
Side: Rodney's
Side: For more information (and photos!) on Rodney & Vonetta's October 2002 wedding, visit BookerBrown.com, designed by Vonetta Booker-Brown. Business - Relationships - Health & Fitness - Entertainment
Romance vs. Finance (Essence.com) When it comes to prenups, more sisters are likely to say "I do." By Vonetta Booker-Brown So, you're engaged to "the one"--a man you can see yourself with forever. And he's just as crazy about you. But while gazing into each other's eyes over a candlelit dinner one evening, your honey unexpectedly pops the "other" question: Will you sign a prenuptial agreement? If you're like 26-year-old Geiselle James, you'd probably look at him like he just dissed your mama. "It's like going into a relationship with no trust," says the graduate student, whose attitude toward prenups is informed by her Trinidadian background. "In the islands, they believe that if you love and marry a person 'until death do you part,' you wouldn't be thinking of having a prenuptial. That's how it's always been." Period. To sign or not to sign? Although many of us are financially savvier than our mothers and grandmothers were when they got married, a significant number of sisters share Geiselle's anti-prenup sentiments. When asked, "Would you sign a prenuptial agreement?" nearly a third (32.8 percent) of Essence.com visitors said "No way!" But surprisingly, a combined 41.8 percent (31.1 percent said "Yes," and 10.7 percent said "If the price was right") were likely to sign right up. About one-quarter replied, "Don't know." Journalist and author Denene Millner is in the "No way!" camp. She playfully debates the subject in her book, Money, Power, Respect: What Brothers Think, What Sistahs Know (William Morrow & Co.) with husband and co-author, Nick Chiles. "I'm against prenups," she says. "They just throw all kinds of negativity on the relationship before you even make it down the aisle." But many experts agree that in the event of a failed marriage, prenups can at least save you from financial stress. "They can be a great tool because they force couples to discuss money," says Glinda Bridgforth, money expert and author of Girl, Get Your Money Straight: A Sister's Guide to Healing Your Bank Account and Funding Your Dreams in 7 Simple Steps (Broadway Books). She stresses taking a hard look at your financial status and habits (i.e. what you own and owe, your credit report, saving and spending habits, etc.) and discussing them with your partner before merging finances. Bridgforth adds that more women are protecting their growing assets these days. "As a financial consultant, I've had a couple of cases recently where my female clients were ordered by the court to pay their spouses' alimony," she says. "Since many women are becoming more aware of alternatives that benefit them, the prenuptial agreement is becoming less stigmatized." Paula, a 32-year-old independent television producer, agrees. Eager to protect her growing assets, she'll insist that her future husband sign a prenup. To her, it's only fair. "Men have an easier time buying cars, homes, etc., while women still make 68 cents to a man's dollar. Why should men get alimony, too?" The bottom line--talk about it So, what do our attitudes toward prenups say about our beliefs regarding relationships and money? While some of us still believe a prenup has no place in a romantic relationship, others are learning that there's nothing wrong with considering what a prenup can provide--protection of the assets you had going into marriage as well as protection from your partner's debts should you divorce. Whichever side you fall on, the money issue definitely has its place in relationship discussions, especially premarial discussions. Prenuptial agreement or not--are you really trying to get caught up in drama because you didn't knw your man's checks have more bounce than an NBA ball? It's chattin' time, ladies... Business - Relationships - Health & Fitness - Entertainment Cyber Advisor (Honey magazine) Welcome to the domain of online advice columnist Deborrah Cooper. By Vonetta Booker-Brown Some people have a knack for giving straight, no-chaser advice about love and relationships. Deborrah Cooper, a.k.a. “Ms. Heartbeat,” has parlayed that talent into a website, Askheartbeat.com. Wherever I went, people would approach me, seeking a listening ear and thoughtful advice that would work,” says Cooper, who’s also done stints as an AOL advice columnist and cable TV host. Now her comfort and counsel attract more than three million hits per month. Askheartbeat.com is a one-stop resource for black romance advice. Although the site features a popular discussion board and relationship articles by a myriad of contributors, the main attraction is Cooper’s bi-weekly advice column. She pulls no punches with the “babymamadrama,” mixing warm wisdom with sassy humor and startling bluntness. Cooper’s
biggest surprise was how the site rapidly gained the respect of
not only black Internet users, but the entire online community,
as well. “I discovered that the issues are the same,”
she says. “Trust, cheating, lying and game-playing exist
in relationships all over the world, no matter what race, color
or creed—nor does it matter what the sexual origin. We all
want love and we all have issues with getting it the way we want.”
Business - Relationships - Health & Fitness - Entertainment In Control (Essence magazine) Self-defense workouts get you mentally fit. By Vonetta Booker It's late and you're on your way home after work. You feel just a tad nervous as you walk down a deserted street toward your apartment. Does this scenario sound familiar? As winter approaches and the days get shorter, it might. And if an attacker did approach you in the street, would you know how to defend yourself? Would you be strong enough to stop him? To avoid that feeling of vulnerability, an increasing number of women are enrolling in self-defense classes. Krav Maga, the Israeli Defense Forces' self-defense system, has become a popular workout while teaching a real fighting technique (learn more at www.kravmaga.com). Another new class is yoga self-defense--yoga philosophy coupled with street-smart techniques for protecting yourself. Impact and kick-boxing classes are still favorites among women. Whichever form you choose, it's all about becoming aware--and empowered. Although using one's wits to outsmart an attacker is a key factor in self-defense, it also helps to be physically fit and ready to go, toe to toe. "You can't be a weakling when defending yourself," says certified self-defense trainer Beverly Bradley. "Being physically strong is a plus." That means toned thighs, calves, biceps and triceps and a strong back and abdomen. Bradley, who is also a certified trainer in martial arts and kick-boxing and the founder of the Brooklyn-based women's wellness group Kamili Afya, says, "Being able to grab someone and pull them into your knee--that's physical strength!" In between your self-defense classes and strength-building workouts, stay street-safe with these tips from Sergeant Doris M. Byrd of the Chicago Police Department.
Captions: For punching power, Beverly Bradley suggests strengthening your arms with these moves: Front raises: Hold dumbbells against your upper thigh as shown. Raise one arm until weight is in front of you at shoulder level. Lower, then alternate with other arm. Do three sets of 12 to 15 alternating reps. Biceps curls: Standing with feet shoulders' width apart, keep your arms close to the body. Then bend at the elbow, curling the fist up to the shoulder. Lower and repeat. Do three sets of 12 to 15 reps. Business - Relationships - Health & Fitness - Entertainment Beyond the Banana Seat (Essence magazine) Biking is a great, grown-up fitness routine. By Vonetta Booker Remember the feeling of the wind on your face as you pedaled through the streets on skinny brown legs? Although your banana-seated baby is probably long gone, cycling is still a thrill—and a wonderful, boredom-resistant way to shape up your heart, hips and legs. It’s a calorie buster, too: According to the American Heart Association, a 150-pound person can burn up to 240 calories an hour while cycling at just 6 miles an hour. “You have several things going on when you ride, says spinning and aerobics instructor Tanya Brooks of World Gym in Largo, Maryland. “You have the aerobics workout, which burns calories and gets your heart going. And if you want to lose weight, it’s a great activity, because everyone can ride.” Get in shape for biking with heart-friendly exercises such as low-impact aerobics step classes and elliptical machines. You need strong legs, but upper-body strength is also essential: Try lifting light handheld weights and doing abdominal crunches. Spinning classes (indoor group cycling) at your gym can also help you get into top cycling shape. Maryland resident Naomi Lewis took biking to the next level—for a good cause—when she rode in the Washington, D.C., AIDS Ride presented by Tanqueray last year—a for-day, 330-mile trip. Lewis says a ride like that requires a fitness level she had to work up to gradually. She prepared by lifting light weights and doing stationary cycling at the gym, and by riding 50 to 100 miles on the weekends. Whether you occasionally pedal through neighborhood streets or put some serious miles on your bike, the point is to flip that kickstand up and take off! Business - Relationships - Health & Fitness - Entertainment Don't Worry, Be Nappy (HealthQuest
magazine) For Healthy Hair, Try Locks Honey-colored baby coils. Thick, brown twists. Regal, waist-length elder locks. Whether you refer to them as dreadlocks or Nubian locks, they’re as diverse and striking as our various skin tones. An increasing number of brothers and sisters are finding locks to be a healthy alternative to processed hair. For 33-year-old administrative assistant Rhonda Savage, years of wearing her hair “fried, dyed and laid-to-the-side” took their toll. Her once-thick, strong tresses had become weak, damaged “help-me” hair. She knew it was time for a change, but she admits she had reservations about locking. “I had been wanting locks for a long time, but was too afraid to do it,” she says. “Every time my relaxer would grow out, I’d wind up retouching the roots and burning half my hair out in the process.” Eventually Savage tired of following a European standard of beauty. She embraced her natural, African hair—and hasn’t looked back. “It’s so easy to take care of, and my hair is a whole lot healthier,” says Savage. “With proper maintenance, hair is at its healthiest state when locked,” says Troy Harrison, a locktitian (the term for a person who grooms locks) at Afrakuts House of Kham Nu, in Orange, New Jersey. “You’re not cutting, combing or applying any form of chemicals to alter the hair’s natural state. Therefore, it has no choice but to grow out naturally.” Hair “locks” when strands of unprocessed African hair curl and tangle around each other. Left in this state over a period of time, the hair finally becomes locked: The strands of hair can’t be separated without cutting them off. Nubian locks are “cultivated”—that is, the hair is groomed so that each individual lock is neat and uniform. But the original locked lock was founded by people in the Rastafarian religion, who wear “organic” dreadlocks—locks that form without combing, twisting or manipulation the hair at all. Some people may start locks with individual braids, twisting the new growth into locks as it grows out. You can also palm-roll the hair between your hands, or twist it into small sections all over the head. Don’t believe the hype that you must be armed with a hive full of beeswax in order to lock your hair, either. A very light setting gel is optional, but the same holding effect can be obtained by simply twisting wet hair and securing it with clips until it dries. “Using oppressive substances like beeswax, heavy oils or grease increase the probability that the lock will retain dirt and debris,” said Nekhena Evans, locktitian and author of Everything You need to Know about Hairlocking: Dread, African and Nubian Locks (A&B Publisher’s Group). Instead, she extols the virtues of all-natural products. “For example, aloe vera is great for coily hair. It’s an intensifier, and it speeds up the natural hairlocking process. Patience, time and effort are the main ingredients for starting and maintaining a lush garden of kinky glory. Depending on your hair’s texture, the locking process can take anywhere from six months to a year. The hair must be unprocessed—and generally, the kinkier it is, the quicker it will lock. When 29-year-old Mary Sutherlin attempted to lock her hair three different times over five years, she learned a valuable lesson: Don’t overdo it. “In my first two attempts, the ore I manipulated it, the straighter it seemed to get; I would wind up with Shirley Temple curls,” she says, noting the difficulty she had in locking because of her hair’s fine texture. On the third try, Sutherlin’s hair eventually locked after about five months. “Basically, I just decided to let it do its own thing, and it eventually came together on its own.” Though locks have become more mainstream, the people who wear them often face misconceptions about their hair. “The most common misconception is that they’re dirty and unkempt,” said Annu Prestonia, co-owner of Khamit Kinks natural hair salon in New York City. “However, grooming, care and nurturing are involved.” Just like anyone else, lock wearers wash their hair regularly, based on its oiliness and/or tendency to collect dirt. And even though natural hair is stronger than processed hair, locks can still suffer from damage and breakage if not treated properly. “Over twisting at the roots, improper moisturizing, conditioning and maintenance—these can all have a detrimental effect on locks,” says Harrison. Fortunately, maintaining a healthy head of locks isn’t difficult. Basic grooming is essential—shampooing and conditioning on a regular basis, oiling the scalp and hair and twisting new grow |
About
Vonetta Booker-Brown
Circulation:
350,000