In the recorded history of mankind, it has never been harder to be cool than it is today. When I was growing up, it was easy to be cool. You found the coolest kids in school of your gender and you did exactly as they did. You wore what they wore, ate what they ate, watched what they watched, and listened to what they listened to. Provided you weren’t born with some hideous physical defect, such as red hair or freckles, you could rest easy. You were cool.

It’s not as easy today. With the advent of the Internet, a thousand television channels and countless streams of information flying in from every available wavelength, the definition of cool changes from minute to minute, if not second to second. You cannot simply locate the cool person in your age and gender group to emulate any more. By the time you find them, they will be out of fashion.
Never fear. There are a few unassailable guidelines for how to be cool. These immutable laws of coolness never change, and as long as you adhere to them, you will be at least chilly, if not downright cool.
The first rule of cool is that appearance is everything. If you look cool, you are by definition cool. This is not as easy as it sounds. For instance, what is cool for a 13-year old is not necessarily cool for a 33-year old. When traveling at the mall – where you must appear at least once a week in order to keep your cool quotient – you will note that most teenage boys wear their pants about halfway down their thighs.

For them, this is cool. For you, this is an excuse for mall security to post your picture on a bulletin board in their office. The general rule of thumb here is to always dress as if you were going to visit your mother. If she would tell you to pull your pants up, pull them up.
Your clothes should have someone’s name on the outside of them. Preferably that of a one-named entity that you’ve probably never heard of like Sean Jean or Tommy Hilfiger. If your clothes have your name on them – on a tag inside – that is definitely not cool.
Shoes are essential for coolness. Canvas high-tops are very cool, as long as they are from Chuck Taylor and not Target. Velcro is okay on pants, but not on shoes. Velcro shoes prevent coolness in any male between the ages of six and sixty.
Technology is cool, as long as you don’t admit that you know how it actually works. Having an iPhone is cool. Using it to text is also cool. Complaining that it doesn’t access the 3G network is definitely uncool. Speaking of texting, it’s very cool to be able to type with your thumbs. It’s extremely uncool to ask your kids what “OMFG” stands for. It’s even less cool to be shocked when they tell you.
When it comes to digital entertainment, the following are cool: YouTube, TIVO, The Office, IPod, ITunes, Face Book, MySpace, TMZ, The OC, Gossip Girl, Lost and Bit Torrent. If you can speak intelligently or at least cogently about these topics, you will remain on the cutting edge of cool for at least the next twenty minutes or so.
Not as cool are MTV, MSN, The Simpsons, South Park, stick phones, American Idol and WWE. The tricky part is that all of these things were cool within the last year, so you have to be careful. Being current is an essential part of being cool.
The last rule of how to be cool is “cool is as cool acts.” If you act cool, you will likely be cool. Exude coolness in all you do. Never doubt yourself for an instant, for if you do, all is lost. Do not question your coolness. If you have to ask if you’re cool – you’re not.

Have you ever taken a look around you and noticed the guys that all the ladies seem to swoon over? Do you ever find yourself wondering what those guys have that you don’t? Why is it that some men are looked at as being sexy and fine, while others are looked past and don’t seem to be noticed by the ladies? Well, my friend, if you are wanting to know what it takes to be a fine black man, then you might want to keep reading this guide to becoming a real lady killer.

It’s in the Attitude

One of the first steps you need to take in order to become a fine black man is to have the right attitude. I know, I know, it can be hard to determine the exact attitude the ladies want. If you act like too much of a jerk, they don’t want anything to do with you and they call you a dog. If you are too nice, they walk all over you or they put you in the “just friends” department – which is a sure sign that you will never get yourself any action.

The key is to avoid coming off like you are desperate. Be respectful and kind, but don’t come off like you need what she has got. It’s like negotiating for a new car. You might really want to drive that Caddy off the lot, but you have to play it cool if you want to get a good deal. The same thing is true with a fine woman.

Check Yourself…with Your Nose

Before you even bother taking a look at yourself in the mirror, give yourself a once-over with your nose. If you are pulling a wrinkled up shirt off the floor and sniffing the pits before you put it on, the chances are you won’t be considered a fine black man by any fine black women. Make sure all of your clothes are freshly cleaned and don’t settle for “well, it doesn’t stink.” Women like their men to smell fresh and clean.

On the other end of the spectrum, don’t try to mask your body funk with cologne. If you do decide to put on cologne, make sure your body smells good underneath. Nothing turns a woman off more than the smell of nasty funk mixed with sweet cologne. When you do put on the cologne, use it sparingly. A woman that can’t breathe because your cologne is so strong is likely to look somewhere else for a man.

Get the Right Clothes

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t necessarily have to have designer clothes on in order to attract a woman. In fact, if you are too dolled up and if you look too pretty, most women will just assume you are gay.

Don’t worry about putting on clothes that are in a style that you don’t like. Rather, make sure your clothes express your personality and that they are clean and well put together. At the same time, many women can’t resist a man in a nice suite or a man that looks like he really cares about the clothes he is wearing. Make sure your clothes fit the situation. If you are going to a bar, a suit is going to be too much. At the same time, you don’t want to show up with your steel-toed boots and your dirty jeans from work still on.

Keeping the Hair Looking Good

Whether you have short hair, long hair, or dreads, the key is to make them tidy and neat. Even a wild hairstyle should look purposely wild rather than “I just rolled out of bed and put some product in my hair.” Don’t try to cut your hair yourself – go to a professional and get a real hair cut.