Birthday of Rihanna!

Rihanna at the launch of Fenty Beauty in NYC September 7, 2017.

Rihanna, born Feb. 20, 1988, was financially worth $245 million as of 2017! 

That is quite a disturbing sentence if one delves into symbols, and has become a student of how public perception works for famous artists. Often, the first assessment of a person is how much money one made in a year, in a lifetime. Granted, she is an accomplished entertainer, and enjoys her craft, but the public allows itself to be absorbed in her life, as a wealthy woman. On the surface, nothing is wrong with admiration. The problem is a solution. 

If one is curious about a thing, learn about a thing. - Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories Feb. 20, 2019 

Teach as One.

On the internet cycles of malicious gossip circulates a sentence: "Nicolette Sheridan thinks Paris Hilton is a nasty girl with genital herpes."

That is a far place to go gossiping about someone. A woman speaking thus to and about another woman is dangerous because of the vitality of women. In their true possession their powers, the quality of their substance is a cornerstone in existence as a place, and as a process she as a one has to develop into what is important.

I can't dispute the claim about Paris Hilton, nor do I want to research it further than to say what is necessary for a man to rethink is the freedom of promiscuity and the treachery that the process can create within a woman. - Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories [Oct. 10, 2017]

Rihanna wearing an African inspired Stella Jean dress the way melanin inspires and comes from within as the creative process of Creation ever unfolding. - Dawn Wolf, Keeper of Stories

Accomplished they are, are you?

Rachel McLish - paved the way for women body building!

Linda Evangelista has been a force in the industry since she first stepped onto the scene in the 80’s and has yet to slow down.

Rihanna Glamour Magazine November 2013

WHAT WE THINK OF.

Rihanna for VOGUE

I wonder how my daughters would be affected by Rihanna's image and what she conveys were they young enough not to be able to create their own image of self? It is just a thought. A father's thought. - Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories 1/11/17

feel of faith

SENSES 

“How ignorant are those who see, without question, the abstract existence with some of their senses, but insist upon doubting until that existence reveals itself to all their senses. Is not faith the sense of the heart as truly as sight is the sense of the eye? And how narrow is the one who hears the song of the blackbird and sees it hovering above the branches, but doubts that which he has seen and heard until he seizes the bird with his hands. Were not a portion of his senses sufficient? How strange is the one who dreams in truth of a beautiful reality, and then, when he endeavours to fashion it into form but cannot succeed, doubts the dream and blasphemes the reality and distrust the beauty! - Kahlil Gibran 

Singer Rihanna April 24, 2013
from gallery of  Ra Intwy Damaleya

African facing the present 

face of a dark skinned beauty 

March 26, 2013

by Adam King Photography

Creative and Rihanna



Rihanna attended the 2013 Grammy Awards in a sheer red Azzedine Alaia gown.

Bajan singer Rihanna, as she made an appearance at the River Island store in London's Oxford Street to promote her collection.

 

10 Points

Rihanna attended the CFDA Fashion Awards in New York

Here are 10 things for you to give up, starting today:


1. Give up excuses. Excuses? Many of us are guilty of using excuses on an almost daily basis; using them as a way to feel ‘safe’. Let them go.

2. Give up the blame game. Give up the need to blame others for how you are or are not feeling, for what your life is or is not. Do this and reclaim your power as sole creator of your life.

3. Give up complaining. It’s all about perspective; the power of positive thinking is something you should never underestimate.

4. Give up your need to be right. Yes, nobody likes to be wrong – this is an unfortunate trait of the ‘ego’ – a trait that can drive people to undergo extreme stress and even jeopardize their relationships. All for the sake of saying ‘I told you so!’ It’s just not worth it. So give it up.

5. Give up your need for control. The moment you stop trying to control everything in your life, could be the moment it all comes together – promise.

6. Give up limiting beliefs. Who are you to say what is or is not possible? You are an unlimited being, you make the rules – so make them BIG!

7. Give up labels. Do you sometimes label the things, people or experiences you don’t understand as ‘weird’ or ‘bad’? If so, it’s about time you gave up labels.

8. Give up the need to please. You have one life only; why not live it as you? Give up your need to please everyone.

9. Give up fear. As Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, ‘The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself. So give it up. Stop letting fear keep you small when you’re capable of such big, miraculous things.

10. Give up the past. Easier said than done – but giving up the past can do wonders for both your present and future happiness. Be in the moment. Be happy. Give up the past and give in to the now.

"The Law Of Attraction"

That being said, "What next? When all is done away with, with what does one replace the ten with?" That is the next right step in development work, which is spiritual work, which is play. - Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories (10.28.15)
 

respect or flaunting?

Rihanna posing in the midst of splendor in a mosque.

"Does Rihanna cross a line posing seductively on sacred ground? The mosque is not a place for taking suggestive pictures. My understanding is the holy Qu'ran does not allow the drawing of people. That next to the allure of the artist is she drawing a contrast, making a statement or being defiant the way Americans like to lay claim to being superior in the face of old traditions with ways long established to solidify the people in an identity!"

- Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories
Oct. 20, 2015


 

Being nasty or being natural ?

Iranian woman wearing a hijab raised her clothes to show her legs releasing the sensual fires tradition could not contain!!!!



Sacred Woman creating intrigue.

Rihanna performing nasty

 

Contrast, and Clash of Mentalities

Rihanna
2 of 9

Rihanna, see the contrasts and the contradiction? For the sake of argument, and for the sheer beauty of a captured moment this is, for me, the best and most telling of the shots taken by the photographer!! How did he get those older women in the background, by chance? Were they secretly wishing to rebel and get a cameo? Was this their act of civil disobedience? - Dawn Wolf, Keeper of Stories 10.29.13

photo: 9 of 9

This is a sultry woman. Is Rihanna seductive clothed in a black fashionable version of modesty, or to American taste humble of attire in front of the mosque? In this controversy the administration of the Sheikh Zayed mosque in Abu Dhabi felt her body beneath the cloth and the way she used her body was too much for the sanctity of the grounds, their tradition, and the environment of prayer and reverence common to sacred space. 

It is very hard for millions of Americans to understand how religion fits into the fabric of the Arab world. The Europeans and the Americans by definition of  their law and bullying, and missionaries spent 500 years ripping this ideological merge of elements out of the cultures of the indigenous peoples of the North American continent. Knowing that it is no wonder a Rihanna and a creative crew would miss the nuances of worship and reverence, custom, and politics Arabs practice and have a fashion shoot in a holy place. 

In practice, Americans do not hold land sacred. To other peoples in the world that is a dangerous spirit. A people who would invade the holy land of their proclaimed religion without reserve, or regret is an incomprehensible creature. With the same horror the Apaches felt watching the Spanish/Mexican sheep herders copulating with their sheep millions of Arabs were horrified watching American bomb the cities of Iraq, where the Garden of Eden once existed for Adam and Eve. With that as a backdrop here comes Rihanna. 

You see? - Gregory E. Woods 10.29.13

Rihanna lying in the court yard of the sacred place of the Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu  Dhabi  in 2013.

the Story 
is translated from Arabic into English, I believe. So don't be put off by the language usage in the short script. - Gregory

SACRED FORM OF SACRED ART: Aleera & Rihanna

Aleera

Rihanna on the summer beach in 2013

a photo shoot: Rihanna

RIHANNA by Terry Richardson

Rihanna by Terry Richardson elegant February 2013 !!!! 

Rihanna by Terry Richardson smoking 

Her Ass & Our Perceptions

Rihanna holding her ass onstage !!!!

The rapper Iggy Azalea claims her bottom is more a burden not allowing her to wear pants As fine, successful and gifted as Rihanna is she, like all of us harbors feelings of lack, or inferiority. In the 2012 Harper's' Bazaar issue she said, "I miss my ass. It just went away! I need a butt. I have an idea of one, but it's not living up to its full potential right now. I want my old butt back!"

I am obviously missing something. How does one lose their butt? Women who are crack addicts and alcoholics do over time. Did she get on one of those crazy white woman "I'm desperate" diets? I don't know.What she did allude to was the constant struggle throughout the African Diaspora about the natural attributes of African people versus the European standards forced upon our thinking for centuries. - Dawn Wolf, Keeper of Stories 8.23.14

Black woman from behind in shorts 

Beyoncé Knowles in jeans

Beyoncé Knowles 

Mrs. Carter proved once again why she put the word "bootylicious" on the map with the sizzling stagewear at her On The Run tour with Jay Z, showcasing her voluptuous curves in a bodysuit. "I'm not very proud of that," she has said about catapulting the term into the Oxford Dictionary. "I wrote the song, but I wish there was another word I could have come up with if I was going to have a word in the dictionary."

Read more: http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/pictures/best-celebrity-butts-of-all-time--2014218/40168#ixzz3BEEI0LU8
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Beyoncé Knowles' beautiful feet

Jennifer Lopez 

In 2014, the sexy entertainer told L.A.'s Power 106 station that she doesn't understand the public's fascination with her backside: “In Hollywood, it’s a little bit of a novelty. But for us, who grew up where we grew up, it wasn’t that big of a deal! From when I was very young, my family would be like, ‘Jennifer’s got a [big butt].’ I was endowed in that area.

Read more: http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/pictures/best-celebrity-butts-of-all-time--2014218/40169#ixzz3BEFQqOFM
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Lady Gaga performing live!

Lady Gaga shared on The Graham Norton Show in 2014 that her mother was most upset when she got a nose piercing. "I said 'Mom, really? I'm naked in every magazine!' I've had my ass out since 2007!"

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Coco Austin in the water 

Coco Austin 

Ice T's wife — and the torchbearer of Thong Thursdays on Twitter — was once insecure about her famous lumps. "When I heard that I got booty implants, I was so taken aback because for the longest time I was trying to hide my butt," she dished on The Real in 2013. "But then I took it as a compliment because I'm thinking, 'If it looks that good...!'"

Read more: http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/pictures/best-celebrity-butts-of-all-time--2014218/40171#ixzz3BEGYjv7q
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actress Scarlett Johansson as an Avenger 

Scarlett Johansson 

The buxom actress pours her curves into a skintight leather catsuit to play Black Widow for the Marvel franchise. Despite her ample results from tough training, Johansson has remained modest about her assets. "There are plenty of girls with nicer butts," she told Esquire in 2006. "There are plenty of girls who work harder for nicer butts."

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Style versions

Eva Mendes,
wearing descending patterns,
by PacificCoastNews.com

Nice. Eva Mendes just looks good. Don't care what she wears as long as she wears something. Clothed beauty has its own mystical effect upon the senses. - GEW, 7.13.13

Rihanna arriving in Poland the first week of July in 2013
by PacificCoastNews.com.

At the GAME

I Freaking Love Sneakers

April 25, 2013

Rihanna rocks "He Got Game" Air Jordan 13 and Melissa Firde wears "Volt Dunkman" LeBron 10's at Heat Game.

at the beach

at the beach Rihanna
April 5, 2013

Wonders of Worlds Apart

singer, RihannaPhoto: Terry Richardson

a Playmate in the sun.

Goddess form of an African-American woman

Eva Longoria stepping out and into controversy.
May 20, 2013

Eva's story

FOR FUN

photo: Angela Weiss
Rihanna arrived at the Roc Nation pre-Grammy brunch in Los Angeles wearing what looks like a large towel, or a simple cotton cloth.   

She looks good in anything she wears, so the problem is what? All my life men (myself included) have talked about and idealized the women who'd look good in anything. Well, here is one of those women. The missing ingredient to further appreciate the fashion statement is being in close proximity to Rihanna. That is the other effect of fashion, one's presence. Fashion sense is about the senses. How the senses are effected by fashion is deep in the core of the individual. Men and women's personal attributes contribute to the physical effect of what is on their bodies. Granted there are some ugly, weird looking things we've thrown on, and no amount of imagination could justify the look, but this outfit takes a prize because of who sports the dress, and how the dress is worn. - Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories 1.29.14

Model/actress Jessica White, for an appearance at BET's 106 & Park, in NYC 1.27.14
photo by Bennett Raglin 

EGYPT'S symbol

Well, Rihanna didn't keep us in suspense very long. Over the weekend she was spotted with bandages on her ribcage after a trip to the tattoo parlor—then she tweeted out this picture:

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ROSES ARE RED. . .

Here I am, Dawn Wolf, with my cousin Marsha in DC 2002. Marsha and her family had come to Washington DC to see the city. It was during the Cherry Blloosom season. Usually people flock to the same spot to see the Cherry Blossoms on the Tidal Basin. There is no way it can be a joy. There are thousands of people bumping into each other to see the trees in a small space along the banks of the Tidal Basin. I decided to take my cousins on my tour; the Chocolate City tour.

Washington DC has been know as Chocolate City for many decades. The population of the city has been historically in the upper percentile regions, say 80% Black until recently with gentrification, or the shove 'em out movement policy of  late.  We are standing in front of a Cherry Blossom tree. I have a secret place in the open within the city seldom visited by people. It is a sanctuary of Cherry Blossoms you can slowly walk through and 'feel' the tree's personalities. 

"I remember when I used to buy myself roses. I needed to at the time. I would carry a dozen roses during the day sometimes. Women would smile, and some would tease wanting a rose, or thinking I was courting someone would make suggestive comments or show me cleavage, or thigh. I wasn't. I was affirming myself. A number of men thought otherwise. Some thought I was trying to get laid, others thought I was visiting several women on the same sweep through the town. Occasionally, a man would discern something deeper and make a cryptic statement to which I would nod affirming his suspicion.

I was seeking solace. I was comforting myself with a collective story about beauty, and color, and sound. Flowers and birds carry sounds we all glean from in the most subtle of ways. We intuit the answers to prayers and wishes in the things we carry, and keep around us. There is a voice from on high, but an untrained ear looking to hear the voice of God is often disappointed particularly, if their their minds have been taught not to 'see' to hear the voices of living things from stones to birds to trees and water." - Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories 8.30.12

Rose between Rihanna's thighs