Advil, Aleve, Tylenol – we all have our brands of choice. But sometimes, I think all this shit is the same. When I first got this kit, as a gift, I was skeptical. Mostly, because it was so no-name. But the more research I did, I found that these pills were probably the best idea ever.

Each pill has only one active ingredient and is low on fillers, coatings and dyes. And did I mention the packaging is eco-friendly? So far, I’ve only tried the Help, I Have a Headache (it worked) and I gave a co-worker one of the loratadine tablets from the Help, I Have Allergies package. I can’t say for sure I would Buy it for myself ($30), but I would certainly give it as a gift, especially for the office. I’d like to see one that says Help, I’m in the kind of pain that could erupt in spontaneous ass-kicking.

Ms. Kit quickly became one of my favorite gems on Twitter, after finding out that she specializes in custom drink mixing.  Think of her as a mixologist on crack; taking your look, your personality and drink favorites, dumping them in a shaker and delivering on something special just for you.  aNot only that, but her Tumblr is filled with assorted bartending tips, custom drank recipes, mixing tricks and ovf course, tutorials, & shenanigans.  Check out the drinks she mixed up for the NerdLike team:

The Jane Goldenarms

build over ice in highball glass

• 1 oz malibu rum
• 1/2 oz banana schnapps or banana liquer
• 1 oz pineapple juice
• splash of cranberry juice

shake ingredients well with ice. garnish with a cherry & loosen up that larynx.

The JazzyRae

build over ice in highball glass

• 1 oz midori melon liquer
• 1/2 oz raspberry stoli or absolut raspberri vodka
• 1/2 oz triple sec
• 1 oz pineapple juice

stir ingredients well, garnish with a cherry & make that thang whistle.

The Duckey

build over ice in hardball or collins glass

• 1+1/2 oz gin
• 1 oz grapefruit juice
• 1/2 oz pineapple juice
• splash of lemon/lime soda or sprite

garnish with a raspberry & get loose wit it.

The E-Dub

build over ice in highball glass

• 1 oz dark rum of your choice
• 1/2 oz amaretto liquer
• 1/2 oz grand marnier orange liquer
• 1 oz orange juice

shake ingredients well with ice & strain into a collins glass filled with ice. garnish with a cherry & find a dark room to get into some boolshyt.

And since Kutty doesn’t drink….we decided to hit him off with one of these:

Dear Stayve Jerome Thomas,

You should be ashamed of yourself.  If not for your completely insane commentary, then definitely for your inability to efficiently use the English language.  It’s called a comma and spell check…please make them your friends.

Moving on, I am not even sure why I am getting so worked up over your recent blog post.  I keep re-reading your slanderous remarks about Black women and comparing the situation to arguing with my eight year old son.  It really isn’t a fair fight, is it? But, something inside of me can’t let it go.  Now, I don’t pretend to be some sort of feminist or activist, but what I AM is a Black woman…and I assure you, you do not speak on behalf of me.  To say that we are unable to be trusted because we are essentially all gold diggers and looking for someone to pay our way is damn near blasphemous.   We are living in a time where women all over the world are picking up their destinies and taking control of their lives.  25 year old CEOs, band managers, photographers, recording artists…the list goes on and on.  Just like the residents of WhoVille, WE ARE HERE…and newsflash, we aren’t going anywhere.

Chances are you may not have ever run across a woman like me or the chicks in my Wolf Pack because you are looking in the wrong places.  If she is in the club half naked, hanging ‘close’ to the roped off area of the VIP, or backstage with your entourage, chances are SHE is the woman you are talking about.  Desperate.  Longing.  And while they are all over the place trying to get men like you to put a ring on it, we are still here…the minority, but surviving.  We have the right to have our noses in the air from time to time, we are the shit.  And if we want something, we go out and get it…

And to take it further, you attack men like my father, my brothers, my friends.  Just because they are not all rappers or producers does not make them invalid.  They have regular 9-5s, they are taking care of their children.  And even if they are working three jobs, going to school at night and living to check to check..they are still there.  They are committed.  And they deserve every ounce of respect that the world has to give them.

Even if this never reaches you.  Even if you do not care.  Know that every day 2000 people come through my little space on the web, and they will read this.  They will email this to their friends.  They will tweet this.  And if you thought your fan base was  smaller than the balls on the little Chinaman  in The Hangover, just wait until this episode is over.

- Jazerai.

So, I have spent the last 20 minutes taking — uploading — virtual makeover’ing myself on Top Shop.  Who knew that online shopping could be so fun?  TopShop’s Virtual Makeover tool is one of the most precise I have ever used, giving me a new and improved look, far different than my current mis matched pajama, no make up self.  Make yourself up, or use it to shop!

Last night, E-Dub and I headed down to check out the cool kids over at 2nd and LaBrea. If you are unfamiliar with the mini fashion strip, the block holds some of our favorite shops, including Union, Stussy and Undefeated. Celebrating the release of the collaborative kicks done by Ed Banger Records and Etnies, the party was filled with fashion conscious folks, and industry greats.   Free beer and tacos from the Calbi truck kept the crowd on point all night long.  Check out the recently released pics of the sneakers.

Okay, so here is the bullshit. Right after I shot the new releases at a couple of shops for StyleEngine, my Nikon died, with no backup battery. DOH! So, here are the spur of the BB and iPhone pics that we got. Enjoy.

The Idea Swap is a space on the net for people to write down their seemingly useless ideas and swap them with others who feel the same way.  You simply type your note on the Post It and click swap, and the rest is history!

While this idea might be a bit taboo for some of you out there, I think it is adorable.  My husband and I are both covered in tattoo art, and believe in creative expression, no matter the form.  This new kit from Kids, Ink allows kids to draw on their own jailhouse tattoos, with four non-toxic pens and tons of stencils.  Get the kit here for $10.

Imagine a place where aspiring fashion designers, producers, models, directors, and musicians collectively convene to provide engaging content for the masses.  These aspiring leaders of the new era have regretted the “main” stream and embraced their “blog” stream success. Gone are the days of control through corporate sponsorship and label constraints, today artist have turned to the dojo to perfect their skills for the fight of “Creative Control”.

The 24hr Karate School as Mos Def refers to it, is an exceptional view into the process of media mogul training at its finest.  Creative Control TV is an online television site that offers up the best in alternative programming for blog superstar artist who don’t have mainstream success, but are apart of an underground internet sub-culture that has a faithful following.  Founded by directors Coodie & Chike, Mos Def, and Ex Rocafella Records CEO Dame Dash  Creative Control TV is an remarkable site to view content of artists on the rise and those new fresh directors offering stunningly sharp vignettes accompanied by dope lyrics and smooth beats. Artists such as Sean O’Connell, Voodoo Farm, Jay Electronica,  The Cool Kids, Stalley, Smoke DZA, Asher Roth and my personal favorite Curren$y all have content on the site, be it music videos, or impromptu jam sessions provided by Sessions @ DD172 the site gives viewers a doorway into a subculture of artist who genuinely are fresh . Shows like “Fuck the Major  We Major” illustrates these artists hesitance to join the rat race of a major label. Other shows include Tonight @ Noon starring Mos Def and  Gallery @ DD172, which gives those searching for new artists and art a place to fill their pupils with interpretation. Creative Control TV is awesome and should be considered a site to view as much as possible. It allows its ambitious members to produce quality material the way they want it and upholding the integrity in their material. I absolutely think those in the know, should get to know CreativeControltv.com

With the Brazilian Blowout and other Keratin treatments becoming increasingly popular, there has been tons of buzz around the internet regarding products that are complimentary to the treatments.  After recently getting the Blowout, I decided to do some research as to how to maximize the benefits as well as the best ways/products to style my hair.  I stumbled across the Hairfree Brushes, a new and innovative way to polish the hair with minimal damage.

Basically, the Hairfree brush is a ceramic enclosed styling tool that is used while blow drying, to eliminate the need of a flat iron.  For those of us with ‘complicated’ hair, the straightening/polishing process can prove to be a long and damaging one.   The flat iron tends to burn the hair, sear the edges and is drying to the overall consistency of the hair.  With the Hairfree brushes, you eliminate the last step of straightening by using the brush while blow drying, which heats up the ceramic plates on the brush and polishes the hair.

Coming in two different styles; round and the traditional flat brush, the brushes also contain a new self cleaning technology [which aside from the polishing is a highly desirable feature as well].  With the push of a button, the hair gets pushed up to the top of the bristles, allowing you to clean the brush with ease.

The Review:

Generally speaking, I have very curly and frizzy hair [thank my Pacific Islander and African American heritage for that].  After the Brazilian Blowout, my hair is silky to the touch, with loose curls/waves all over.  I can let my hair air dry and it will look like this:

Hairfree sent me two sets of their brushes to try out, and I kept one to myself and gave one to my African American girlfriend, to see how to brushes worked on both types of hair.  I washed my hair, let it dry for a bit, and then took to the locks with the Hairfree flat brush and my blow dryer.  After reading a few recommendations on the internet, I decided to first heat the brush up before applying it in my hair.  Bad idea. I think I left the heat on too long, or possibly too directly, as I melted a portion of the ceramic tile.

Moving on, I worked through my hair with the Hairfree flat brush, the same way I usually do and got great results.  While my styling time wasn’t decreased, the hair was smoother than it is when I use my regular brush, however, it wasn’t as smooth as it gets when I take a Chi Iron to it.  Overall, I can see the brush being great for those quickie jobs, when I don’t have an extra 20 minutes to run a flat iron through my hair, or for someone with a lighter curl than mine.

A few days later I tried the Hairfree round brush, generating the same results, however, the brush was harder to maneuver.  The size of the head in relation to the handle made it harder to work through the hair, though if you have great control, the brush does provide a nice ‘bump’ to the edges, as well as builds more volume.

The Recommendation:

While I am not ready to throw out my flat iron quite yet, the brushes were beneficial to my styling.  Not to mention that I am a ‘heavy shedder’ so the self cleaning tool is enough for me to want to use the brush daily.  The downfall comes into play with the length of the handle, which is a bit short for high heat styling [I burned my hand a couple of times] as well as the bristles, which could be a bit softer.  Overall, I had a great experience with the Hairfree brushes, and if you have a light wave, or thinner hair than I, these would be great for your styling.  If you want to purchase your own, check the website and get both brushes for under 20 bucks!

I thought I was pretty fancy with my 45 words per minute. I mean I knew I was not at the top of my class, but I wasn’t the worse either. Then here comes along this show off. I swear these kids these days are so ambitious. She types 119 WPM and wants to reach 200. I guess she wasn’t happy just embarrassing her teacher. Now she wants to embarrass the world.

I stumbled across this social experiment that aired on ABC, showcasing a black actress and two store workers who all agreed to stage a scene at an upscale boutique in SoHo.  The scene goes like this; random shoppers come in and the workers begin to harass the black actress, making comments such as  “you can’t afford the merchandise” and “we know why you are here.” They even go as far as to frisking her before leaving the store.

Check out the shoppers’ reactions, or lack there of in some cases.  Thoughts?