Monthly Archives: April 2017

WIWT: BLKHLTH

April 26, 2017

Filed Under : My Style








What I’m Wearing
Sweatshirt: BLKHLTH| Chinos: ASOS | Shoes: Steve Madden | Fedora: H&M

For those of you who don’t know, I have a soft spot for any and everything health related. From environmental studies to mental health, the entire discipline is very intriguing to me. Very broad, I know! Recently, I had an opportunity to collaborate with an organization that provides health related resources to the black community,  BLKHLTH. According to their website, “BLKHLTH aims to create a space where health information is centralized and accessible. We provide engaging content, community events and professional services with the goal of empowering the black community to improve our health and wellness.” Dope, right? They are truly amazing!

Why do we need help finding resources? Doesn’t everyone have a phone? Yes, we do live in a world where our electronic resources are available at our fingertips. However, everything on the internet is not easily accessible, especially if you don’t know where to look. Organizations like BLKHLTH help educate people of color and provide resources for maintaining a healthy way of life. With that being said, I put together this look to help spread the BLKHLTH message.  I styled the popular, “Black Health Matters” crewneck sweatshirt  with a pair of chinos, leather oxfords, and porkpie fedora hat. Looking good, right?

Continuing with this theme, I thought it would be a great idea to step away from fashion and discuss my personal journey towards mental health. Personal? I know, I know, I have yet to share anything really personal about my life on Brycelennon.com. So, consider this a downgraded, E! True Hollywood Story episode. Ha! So, enjoy while it lasts! Don’t get too comfortable.

Testimony

My mental health journey began roughly two years ago. Since then, I’ve been fully embraced in loving all aspects of myself, including my emotional side. Emotions? Why is showing emotions a bad thing? Excuse me, have you been living under a rock for years?! Culturally, showing emotion is considered a sign of weakness, especially as a man of color. We all know that there are no tears in the black household. Tears, what are tears? You better suck it up or get ready to fight. That’s how many black boys are taught to deal with their emotions at an early age. Unfortunately, that’s a reality for many of us, and that’s how we survive.

Over time, those suppressed feelings of sadness and anger are exposed eventually. For myself, these emotions are usually masked behind a nonchalant mentality or a series of complaints. On one accord, I would feed my confirmation bias with a bunch of facts to validate my negative thoughts, while any other time I would complain to everyone about my problems without finding a solution. You see, I was the guy that never knew how to address or deal with his emotions, nor did I know how to be honest with myself.

It wasn’t until I lost a sense of self control when I decided to seek professional help. Mind you, this wasn’t the first time I allowed my emotions to run rapid, but this was definitely the breaking point. Like any other new venture, I was so nervous going to my first session. Why? You know, only “crazy” people go to therapy. Well, that’s what everyone said, but it wasn’t about them this time. For once, everything is going to be about me.

Two years later, everything is still about me. With the help and guidance from my therapist, I have a better understanding of myself and how to maintain my #blackboyjoy. No need to get into specifics, but my mental health journey is a never ending process. Now that I am fully immersed in this pursuit of happiness, there is no excuse to be silent anymore.

Back to our regular scheduled programming

Don’t tease me for humanizing myself a bit, but that came from the heart. Do you have a personal health story you would like to share? Feel free to drop some comments below.

Thanks again,

-Bryce Lennon

P.S. Don’t forget to pick up your “Black Health Matters” sweatshirt here!

Big Brother Canada 5: Week Six

April 25, 2017

Filed Under : Reality TV - This & That


Source: Global TV

The word irony is a complete understatement of what has transpired in the BBCAN Odyssey. After backdooring Neda during the surprise double eviction episode last week, Sindy found herself in a sticky situation. Dillon the surviving nominee from the previous live eviction, won Head of Household for the week. Once the Power of Veto was used on one of the nominees, Dillon made a game changing decision by naming Sindy as the replacement nominee. By eviction night, the house was unified in their decision and sent Sindy packing. Find out how it all went down below!

Head of Household


Source: Global TV

The remaining houseguests, minus Sindy (The previous HoH), competed in the BUZZKILLED competition. As soon as the buzzer goes off, each houseguest hits their button. The last houseguest to ring in gets eliminated. The last houseguest standing becomes the new Head of Household. After a few rounds, the challenge came down to Bruno, Dillon, Dre, and William. Dillon offered the remaining houseguests safety for the week if they forfeit the challenge. Bruno, Dre, and William agreed, and allowed Dillon to win HoH.

Nominations

Dillon still holding Jackie accountable for flip flopping throughout the game, plans on making her the target for the week. He plans on using Demetres as a pawn. If the POV is used, Dillon will renominate a veteran instead. After conversing with his new Emily 2.0 partner, Karen, Dillon has Kevin and Sindy on his radar as potential replacement nominees. At the nomination ceremony, Dillon followed through with his plans and put up Jackie against Demetres.

Power of Veto Competition


Source: Global TV

Dillon, Demetres, Jackie, Ika, Sindy, and William participated in the Out of Orbit Power of Veto competition. Each houseguest has to roll their ball up and around a looped infrastructure and catch it on the other side, completing one rotation. If the ball is dropped, they start over. The first person to complete three hundred consecutive rotations will win the Power of Veto. The challenge came down to Demetres and Dillon. Near the end of the challenge, Dillon’s ball fell off the infrastructure, bringing him back to zero. Demetres continued and was rewarded with the Power of Veto once he hit three hundred rolls.

Secret Veto


Source: Global TV

Dillon called a house meeting, as instructed by Big Brother. Their task was to clean the house from head to toe. While cleaning, William found a clue regarding a secret power. After following a series of clues, William found a secret Power of Veto. He has the option to use the power at one of the next two veto meetings.

Power of Veto Ceremony

Kevin and Bruno tried their best to convince Dillon to put up Ika as a renom, out of fear that Sindy will be targeted instead. Their goal was to get Queen Ika on the block instead. Unfortunately, their plan did not go as expected. Once Demetres used the Power of Veto on himself, Sindy was named as the replacement nominee by Dillon.

Live Eviction


Source: Global TV

Sindy tried her best to save herself from eviction, but ultimately, the house viewed her as a bigger threat than Jackie. Her season three alliance members, Bruno and Kevin, couldn’t rally enough votes to save her. By a vote of six to one, Sindy became the seventh houseguest evicted from the game, leaving three veterans remaining.

Predictions


Source: Global TV

I foresee the newbies sticking together for the next couple of weeks. Now that Bruno and Kevin are officially on the outs, there best bet is to get the house to flip on Ika and Demetres. Since Kevin is romantically linked with William, he has a better chance of staying than Bruno. Since William has this secret power, he may be saving Kevin from the block. Only time will tell.

Thanks for reading,

-Bryce Lennon

WIWT: Adepa Wear

April 19, 2017

Filed Under : My Style








What I’m Wearing
Shirt: ADEPA Wear | Jacket: Levis | Pants: American Eagle | Shoes: ASOS

As a man of both African and Native American decent, I take pride in my ethnic identity. I love embracing my cultural heritage through ethnic prints and patterns. For this particular post, I had the opportunity to receive an amazing shirt from an African clothing brand, ADEPA Wear. With the tagline, “Adepa: The Value in Africa,” Adepa aims to create sustainable opportunities for the less privileged. With that being said, I decided to create a simple look  with my light weight Adepa tee. The embroidered kente design elements on the shirt add a lot of character. Once you add the denim jacket, khaki joggers, and the wicker slip-on sneakers, everything is complete. Still interested? Feel free to stop by Adepa‘s website here for more information.

Thanks for reading,

-Bryce Lennon

Big Brother Canada 5: Week Five

April 18, 2017

Filed Under : Reality TV - This & That


Source: Global TV

For a second week in a row, a random tweak in the weekly schedule changed the game indefinitely. Unfortunately, we saw Emily and Neda sent packing in a surprise double eviction. Neda? I thought she was immune until jury? Yes, this is all true. Unfortunately, Neda was back-doored during the live eviction.

So, how did it all go down? Check out the weekly summary below!

Last Week


Source: Global TV

After the remaining houseguests survived Backwards Week, it was William who stepped up to the plate and won Head of Household for the week. With a new power shift, Ika and Demetres continue to play both sides of the house. Ika has her eyes set on Jackie, while Dre is has Kevin and Bruno on her radar. Remember, Bruno and Kevin are in an alliance with Ika, and she wants to keep them safe. Ultimately, the decision is up to William, who wants to take out either Dillon or Emily. Dillon feeling the pressure of the block, tries to strategize with his crush Emily. Their only hope is to get Jackie on the block, since she is not very liked in the house. Meanwhile, Kevin is using his charm and sexuality to stay off William’s radar.

Nominations

William had a big decision to make this week in terms of nominations. Strategically, Dillon, Emily, Jackie, and Bruno were all on his radar. Ultimately, it came down to Dillon and Emily for nominations this week. Dillon did not take the news well, and of course tried to use his bullying tactics against the current HoH. William was completely unbothered by Dillon’s threats, and stood strong with his decision.

Power of Veto Competition


Source: Global TV

William, Dillon, Emily, Karen, Dre, and Kevin were chosen to participate in the Flip It to Win Power of Veto competition, sponsored by the Brick. According to Global TV, the houseguests will compete in head-to-head matches. They will be shown a series of items from the Brick during each round, asked a question based on the items, and then flip over the cards next to the correct answer and buzz in. The houseguest who correctly flips the most items in the shortest amount of time will win the round and eliminate their opponent. Not only will the last houseguest standing win the Power of Veto, he or she will receive a $5000 gift card from the Brick. In the final round, it was down to Dillon and Kevin, with Kevin taking home the POV and gift card.

Power of Veto Ceremony

Dillon and Emily thought they had a great relationship with Kevin, until he was on the fence about using the veto. At that moment, Dillon began questioning his allegiance to both Bruno and Kevin (Since they were members of the Black Saints Alliance with Dillon and Emily). Meanwhile, Dre begins planting seeds in Williams head about Kevin’s true intentions. She believes that Kevin is using William for information and safety, which is all true. As expected, William makes a last minute effort to veto Dillon off the block, and put up Jackie as a replacement nominee. The plan is for Bruno to go up in Dillon’s place, rather than Jackie. During the POV ceremony, Emily stated in her speech that she was aligned with Kevin. Unfortunately, Kevin stuck to his initial plans and kept nominations the same. Dillon and Emily were soon to face eviction.

Live Eviction


Source: Global TV

With eight votes to evict, Emily unfortunately became the fifth houseguest evicted from the BBCAN Odyssey. If only Kevin used the veto, she would still be in the house.


Source: Global TV

After the live vote, host Arisa Cox revealed that a second houseguest would be leaving the game in a surprise double eviction. She also told the house that Neda’s immunity is finally over, and that the next person evicted would be the first person on the jury.

Head of Household


Source: Global TV

After the announcement, the houseguests competed in the Before or After Head of Household competition. The rules were simple: each houseguest had to determine the order in which each event happened. Veteran, Sindy, beat out Kevin in a tie breaker round.

Nominations

The nomination ceremony took place immediately after the competition. Sindy nominated Dillon Jackie for eviction.

Power of Veto Competition


Source: Global TV

The houseguests went to the backyard to compete in the Power of Veto competition. Sindy, Dillon, Jackie, Neda, Ika and Karen were selected to participate in the “Wired for Veto” competition. The houseguests raced around the clock to untangle their rope, and hit their buzzer first. In the end, Jackie hit her buzzer first, winning the Power of Veto.

Power of Veto Ceremony

Right after the competition, Neda overheard Ika and Sindy’s conversation. Ika told Sindy to nominate Neda, their alliance member. Neda pleaded for Sindy not to use her as a replacement nominate and began throwing Ika under the bus. A heated debate was exchanged between the season two veterans, with Neda revealing their six person alliance to Dre. Shortly after, Jackie used the POV on herself, and Sindy nominated Neda in her place.

Live Eviction


Source: Global TV

With Dillon and Neda facing eviction, the house had an easy decision on their hands. One by one, everyone voted for Neda to leave the house. As Arisa revealed the results, you can tell Neda’s heart sank. She left the house fully distraught and defeated.

Predictions


Source: Global TV

Wow, I was not fully prepared for this double eviction. I went into this episode thinking Dillon and Jackie would be evicted, not Emily and Neda. Such a game changer! With all that being said, I have no predictions for next week.

Clearly, this game is constantly changing, and I can’t keep up with it.

What do you think? Feel free to share in the comments section below.

Thanks for reading,

-Bryce Lennon