I’ll take “self-inflicted political scandals for $800, Alex.”

Seriously, you can’t make this stuff up! Or… maybe you can? What an utterly insane campaign season this is proving to be. And I really don’t mean to needle any Clinton supporters who read Afrobella — at one time, I too admired her simply for her intelligence and capability even though she was never my candidate of choice. But as the campaign wore on, my disdain for her tactics grew stronger. And now here we are, with Sinbad of all people, at the epicenter of an unraveled, repeatedly-told lie. Comedians, bloggers, and news anchors are having a field day. I’m not wading into the campaign waters any deeper than this for right now, y’all. I’m just saying, the iron is sizzling for a Sinbad comeback! I just want to see him on like, the Colbert Report this week or something. And strangely enough, when my brother in Trinidad mentioned Sinbad during my Earth Wind and Fire music post of last week Thursday, I was like…. man, SINBAD! I haven’t thought of that brotha in FOREVER. Flash forward a week and he’s on the news every night. Strange.

My days of being “the tall girl” ended when I was oh, eleven or twelve. Then I became the average-height girl. But I was still able to identify with Life as a Tall Girl, an essay written by University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh senior Rebecca Thomas. She’s 6 foot 4, and has always attracted gasps and stares from obnoxious onlookers. “I often wish people weren’t so rude. How can they act so unabashedly shocked when they see someone who is different from them? And I’ve got it easy; I’m a minority only in the sense of height. I can only imagine how those under the burden of a group prejudice based on their race or religion must feel. I like to think that those who have insulted me didn’t intend to. I do believe that most people are basically good, but they can be insensitive,” she says. Finally, she’s wearing her height with the regal bearing it demands. “In fact, sometimes I wear heels. Just to make them look twice,” she adds.

Go ‘head, Rebecca! I found her story to be inspiring, and maybe you will too. In somewhat similar news, the world’s tallest man just got a new bicycle! Totally random, but I love to know about the lives of Guinness World Record holders.

I always welcome an opportunity to be a part of the News and Notes bloggers’ roundtable, but alas, I was sick this weekend and had to back out on Monday. Monday’s discourse focused on Obama’s marvelous speech, the website Stuff White People Like (which yes — is a classic, lazy, con-job, but an oft-hilarious one, IMO), and Kwame Kilpatrick’s indictment on perjury charges. If there could be a soundtrack to this indictment, might I suggest Radiohead’s Just? You did it to yourself, Kwame. You and no one else. Can’t blame the media for everything.

Even though I still think of this as a quote-unquote beauty blog, sometimes I get political on Afrobella. OK, often. Maybe too often. Especially recently. But sometimes I prefer to keep things light and positive, cause truth be told, too much politics makes my blood boil. So in the interest of keeping things relatively light, I’m just going to address this burning political fire in my belly real quick then get back to the calming seas of beauty and style.

This weekend, I wound up in one of those conversations where you can’t lose your cool. You know — you’re at the office, or in a doctor’s waiting room, or at a social event where you’re required to keep the polite face on… then someone goes and says the thing that just gets under your fingernails the deepest. I wound up in a doozy this weekend, filled with gems like, “I just don’t like Obama because he’s a Muslim and attended a madrassa,” and “President Bush was right to invade Iraq.” Anyone who knows me, knows how hard it must have been for me to respond to inflammatory statements such as these without raising my voice and my pressure. But I’m proud to say, I did neither. I implored with the ignorant party to educate themselves, I pointed them in the direction of the Obama Fact Check — note, not to be confused with the LOL-worthy The Obama Facts. Regarding the issue of President Bush, I wish I had told this person to see PBS Frontline’s special series, Bush’s War. Exhaustively reported. Unflinchingly examined. It should be required viewing for anyone still driving around with a W sticker on their car. Be forewarned — as this Reuters review would indicate, “the level of incompetence uncovered by “Frontline” is stunning.” And if you feel like I do, it’ll make you mad as hell.

Whew. I need to cool down with some fashion. How’s about a giveaway?

I love funky jewelry, I love indie designers, and I love shouting out blossoming businesses. So when singer, songwriter, artist, and jewelry designer Rhonda Ray contacted me about her banging earrings, I was excited. Rhonda’s taken this natural hair thing to a whole new level. She even wrote a song about it! Like to hear it? Here it goes. It’s Afrolicious!

Besides banging out beats and tunes, Rhonda weaves some magically beautiful earrings. I absolutely love them! They are meant to ideally compliment a big fabulous fro. I’ve been rocking the reggaelicious hoops, and I also got a gorgeous pair of pear earrings in her “lavender dreams” color range (which is so Pisces, so soft, so my favorite calming colors). Rhonda’s earrings cost $20, and if you buy three pairs, you can get a free Afrolicious tank top with her fetching logo on it. Or, you can enter this here giveaway and possibly win a pair of Afrolicious earrings for free!

Rhonda has graciously made these five earrings for Afrobella readers. Do you want a pair? Do you, bella? Well then, you know the drill, it’s totally random. Just leave me a comment that begins with the phrase, “I’m totally afrolicious!” And tell me (and Rhonda Ray!) why you deserve to rock these fly hand-woven earrings. And make sure to visit Rhonda Ray’s site and show her some love!

I’ll close these comments by Saturday. Good luck, my afrolicious afrobellas!