I hate to jump on the bandwagon of a church scandal. However, I have a different take on the situation. I will neither condemn or defend the Bishop. I know the situation is serious and appears grim. I look at it as an example of God's love and grace. The Lord chaseneth who He loves. When we are involved in sin the Lord convicts our hearts. Many times we ignore that gentle nudge that lets us know we are going down a wrong path. If ignored for too long, the Lord at times will "pull the cover off", so to speak. If this happens, it is not because He has turned His back on us or that He no longer loves us. The opposite is true. He loves us so much that He will do whatever it takes to get our attention and give us an opportunity to be back in good fellowship with Him. Once again, let me emphasize that I am not speaking of Bishop Long's guilt or innocence.
My heart goes out to all those involved in the scandal. This is the ultimate test of faith for everyone. Whether or not the Bishop is guilty, this scandal has altered his reputation. The scandal has the potential to rock his faith and the faith of everyone affected. I pray that for the Bishop, his family, church members and the alleged victims that their faith fail them not. This is a lesson for all of us not to glory in flesh. Any of us are subject to fall at any given moment. We are human and are going to make mistakes. We need to remember that before we point fingers and make disparaging remarks about the Bishop. A guest speaker at my church last week said that if the Lord were to materialize a huge video screen and play the film of our lives many of us would have to leave to avoid embarrassment or worse. As humorous as that visual is, it is thought provoking. All have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. Let me clarify, my previous point does not give us license to sin, but hope that if we do we are redeemable.
The scandal gives us all pause to evaluate where we stand spiritually and get anything right that needs to be corrected. Let's take an honest look at the man or woman in the mirror. Bishop Long is set to address his congregation this morning. Stand with me in prayer for all involved that the ultimate outcome be stronger walks with the Lord, and that wherever needed there be deliverance and healing.
J
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Immigration Debacle
I have been silent on the immigration debate because I wanted to take the time and do some research. Like any topic of interest, you should never solely rely on the media as your source of true information. Everything you see on your favorite news shows and even in print should be put through a filter of fact and truth. The immigration debate is riddled with myths and stereotypes. It's easy to fall back on your personal bias or to simply have no opinion at all.
Why should you care about immigration? Look at your family tree. Most Americans are just a few generations shy of being immigrants themselves. The only true natives to this country are the American Indians. The rest came here willingly and in the case of slavery, unwillingly. If you think you are too far removed from the immigrant classification, do you fall in either of these categories: Female, gay, have a disability (physical or mental), obese, working class, poor, etc. This is just a short list of categories that you may fall in that can lead to you experiencing some form of discrimination. Bigotry and discrimination go far beyond the color of a person's skin. When any group of people are singled out unfairly, we should all be alarmed.
I think all Americans, even Latinos, agree that we need immigration reform, but that reform needs to be fair. Take the time to learn more about immigration. I found an interesting article in the September issue of Latina Magazine. I will post some of the article below. The article debunks several myths about the immigrant community and I hate to admit I thought a few of these were true myself. Learning is fundamental! (LOL) Although I grew up in culturally diverse neighborhood and had many Latina friends, I even held to some of these myths simply out of ignorance of facts. Please read the article below and feel free to send me a comment.
J
Myth #1: Immigrants are mostly dishwashers, nannies and construction workers.
False! In America's 25 biggest metropolises, an immigrant is more likely to be your boss than deliver your dinner. In these cities, half of immigrants hold white collar jobs-and 11 percent of them are executives and managers, while just seven percent work in food service, a study from the Fiscal Policy Institute shows.
Myth #2: Undocumented immigrants get here by sneaking across the border via places like the deadly All American Canal in California.
Actually, nearly half of undocumented immigrants come to the United States on planes. They arrive with legit tourist or student visas and then overstay their allotted time here, becoming undocumented.
Myth #3: Undocumented immigrants are costing border states billions of dollars.
In reality, Arizona rakes in a $220 million profit from undocumented immigrants per year. Neighboring Texas does even better, with a $420 million profit per year. That's because the taxes these immigrants pay far outpace the services they use (mostly public schools and emergency rooms).
Myth #4: Immigrant-haters are mostly young 20-somethings competing for jobs with indocumentados.
Nope-it's actually the elderly who are riled up over immigration. Most young people support immigration, while Americans older than 45 are twice as likely to say the United States should cut back immigration, a recent New York Times poll shows. The generational divide is more pronounced in states such as Arizona and Florida, where retirees and new immigrants have settled.
Myth #5: Undocumented immigrants are criminals putting Americans in danger.
In truth, the opposite is true: Native-born Americans are five times more likely than immigrants to be incarcerated. Plus Mexicans and Salvadorans-the groups with the largest undocumented populations-actually had the lowest incarceration rates of any Latinos.
Please read this entire article, written by Franziska Castillo in the September issue of Latina Magazine.
Why should you care about immigration? Look at your family tree. Most Americans are just a few generations shy of being immigrants themselves. The only true natives to this country are the American Indians. The rest came here willingly and in the case of slavery, unwillingly. If you think you are too far removed from the immigrant classification, do you fall in either of these categories: Female, gay, have a disability (physical or mental), obese, working class, poor, etc. This is just a short list of categories that you may fall in that can lead to you experiencing some form of discrimination. Bigotry and discrimination go far beyond the color of a person's skin. When any group of people are singled out unfairly, we should all be alarmed.
I think all Americans, even Latinos, agree that we need immigration reform, but that reform needs to be fair. Take the time to learn more about immigration. I found an interesting article in the September issue of Latina Magazine. I will post some of the article below. The article debunks several myths about the immigrant community and I hate to admit I thought a few of these were true myself. Learning is fundamental! (LOL) Although I grew up in culturally diverse neighborhood and had many Latina friends, I even held to some of these myths simply out of ignorance of facts. Please read the article below and feel free to send me a comment.
J
Myth #1: Immigrants are mostly dishwashers, nannies and construction workers.
False! In America's 25 biggest metropolises, an immigrant is more likely to be your boss than deliver your dinner. In these cities, half of immigrants hold white collar jobs-and 11 percent of them are executives and managers, while just seven percent work in food service, a study from the Fiscal Policy Institute shows.
Myth #2: Undocumented immigrants get here by sneaking across the border via places like the deadly All American Canal in California.
Actually, nearly half of undocumented immigrants come to the United States on planes. They arrive with legit tourist or student visas and then overstay their allotted time here, becoming undocumented.
Myth #3: Undocumented immigrants are costing border states billions of dollars.
In reality, Arizona rakes in a $220 million profit from undocumented immigrants per year. Neighboring Texas does even better, with a $420 million profit per year. That's because the taxes these immigrants pay far outpace the services they use (mostly public schools and emergency rooms).
Myth #4: Immigrant-haters are mostly young 20-somethings competing for jobs with indocumentados.
Nope-it's actually the elderly who are riled up over immigration. Most young people support immigration, while Americans older than 45 are twice as likely to say the United States should cut back immigration, a recent New York Times poll shows. The generational divide is more pronounced in states such as Arizona and Florida, where retirees and new immigrants have settled.
Myth #5: Undocumented immigrants are criminals putting Americans in danger.
In truth, the opposite is true: Native-born Americans are five times more likely than immigrants to be incarcerated. Plus Mexicans and Salvadorans-the groups with the largest undocumented populations-actually had the lowest incarceration rates of any Latinos.
Please read this entire article, written by Franziska Castillo in the September issue of Latina Magazine.
R.I.P. Dr. MaLinda Sapp
The entire staff of WVEL would like to extend our condolences to Pastor Marvin Sapp and his family. I can not imagine the pain that they are suffering, but can only pray that they find peace knowing that their beloved is not in the arms of Jesus. Funeral arrangements have been set for Thursday, September 16, 2010. Please read below for further obituary information:
Wife of gospel singer Marvin Sapp dies at 43
Ursula Watson / The Detroit News
MaLinda Sapp, wife of gospel star Marvin Sapp, died Thursday from colon cancer. She was 43. The mother of three was co-pastor with her husband of the Lighthouse Full Life Center Church in Grand Rapids. On the church's website, www.lighthouseflc.com, MaLinda Sapp was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer in 2009 and was declared cancer-free early this year. However, the disease returned recently, and the church asked its members and the public to participate in a 24-hour prayer vigil.
She was an accomplished woman in and out of church. MaLinda Sapp, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., was a licensed counselor, psychologist and professor at Grand Rapids Community College. She also managed her husband's gospel career and was executive producer on many of his well-known recordings.
Marvin Sapp, also 43, is best known for his 2007 gospel-crossover hit, "Never Would Have Made It." In fact, it was MaLinda who encouraged him to write the song following the death of his father.
Prior to Marvin's successful solo career, he recorded with the 1990s gospel group, Commissioned. His current CD "Here I Am," was released in March. Recently the song "The Best In Me" was No. 1 on Billboard's gospel charts.
The Sapps, who knew each other since childhood, were married 18 years and have three children -- Marvin II, Mikaila and Madisson Sapp.
Wife of gospel singer Marvin Sapp dies at 43
Ursula Watson / The Detroit News
MaLinda Sapp, wife of gospel star Marvin Sapp, died Thursday from colon cancer. She was 43. The mother of three was co-pastor with her husband of the Lighthouse Full Life Center Church in Grand Rapids. On the church's website, www.lighthouseflc.com, MaLinda Sapp was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer in 2009 and was declared cancer-free early this year. However, the disease returned recently, and the church asked its members and the public to participate in a 24-hour prayer vigil.
She was an accomplished woman in and out of church. MaLinda Sapp, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., was a licensed counselor, psychologist and professor at Grand Rapids Community College. She also managed her husband's gospel career and was executive producer on many of his well-known recordings.
Marvin Sapp, also 43, is best known for his 2007 gospel-crossover hit, "Never Would Have Made It." In fact, it was MaLinda who encouraged him to write the song following the death of his father.
Prior to Marvin's successful solo career, he recorded with the 1990s gospel group, Commissioned. His current CD "Here I Am," was released in March. Recently the song "The Best In Me" was No. 1 on Billboard's gospel charts.
The Sapps, who knew each other since childhood, were married 18 years and have three children -- Marvin II, Mikaila and Madisson Sapp.
Monday, July 12, 2010
R.I.P. Bishop Walter Hawkins
I'm still in a state of shock at such a tremendous loss to the gospel music community and the body of Christ as a whole. Please read below for a snippet of information from the Washington Post:
Gospel great Walter Hawkins dies at 61
Walter Hawkins, an ordained bishop and one of gospel music's legendary figures, died July 11 at his home in Ripon, Calif. He had pancreatic cancer.
Bishop Hawkins began performing with his family, including cousin Shirley Miller and siblings Edwin Hawkins and Lynette Hawkins Stephens, when he was a teenager. In the late 1960s, the Hawkins' song "Oh Happy Day" rose to No. 4 on the pop charts in the U.S. and No. 2 in England, making it one of the first crossover gospel hits.
He also performed with his wife, from whom he was divorced, Grammy-award winning diva Tramaine Hawkins.
In the early 1970s, Walter Hawkins studied for a divinity degree at the University of California at Berkeley and founded the Love Center Church in Oakland, Calif., where he served as pastor and formed a choir.
He continued to sing and produce gospel songs, including the "Love Alive" series of albums, which repeatedly topped the Billboard gospel charts. His performance of "The Lord's Prayer" won a Grammy in 1980.
Bishop Hawkins last appeared in Washington in April. Though weakened by his illness, he sang at a performance at the Kennedy Center with a gospel choir and the National Symphony Orchestra.
A full obituary will follow.
By Emma Brown | July 12, 2010; 6:01 PM ET
Gospel great Walter Hawkins dies at 61
Walter Hawkins, an ordained bishop and one of gospel music's legendary figures, died July 11 at his home in Ripon, Calif. He had pancreatic cancer.
Bishop Hawkins began performing with his family, including cousin Shirley Miller and siblings Edwin Hawkins and Lynette Hawkins Stephens, when he was a teenager. In the late 1960s, the Hawkins' song "Oh Happy Day" rose to No. 4 on the pop charts in the U.S. and No. 2 in England, making it one of the first crossover gospel hits.
He also performed with his wife, from whom he was divorced, Grammy-award winning diva Tramaine Hawkins.
In the early 1970s, Walter Hawkins studied for a divinity degree at the University of California at Berkeley and founded the Love Center Church in Oakland, Calif., where he served as pastor and formed a choir.
He continued to sing and produce gospel songs, including the "Love Alive" series of albums, which repeatedly topped the Billboard gospel charts. His performance of "The Lord's Prayer" won a Grammy in 1980.
Bishop Hawkins last appeared in Washington in April. Though weakened by his illness, he sang at a performance at the Kennedy Center with a gospel choir and the National Symphony Orchestra.
A full obituary will follow.
By Emma Brown | July 12, 2010; 6:01 PM ET
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Supreme Court Nominee Elena Kagan
Like so many liberals I anxiously awaited President Obama's next Supreme Court nomination. What a phenomenal opportunity to shape this nation's higher court for the next several generations. I believe his selection of Justice Sotomayor was nothing short of brilliant. She was bar none the best choice, not just because she was a woman or that she would be the first Latina to be appointed.
Now initially I was equally excited about Elana Kagan. I wanted to learn more about who she is. I was pleased by her accomplishments and drive at still a young age. However, as more has been revealed about her history, especially her hiring practices at Harvard, my excitement has wained. Please read an excerpt of an article by Dr. Boyce Watkins with News One. I believe he brings out some important points of concern regarding Kagan. I will say that my opinion departs as I do not share his concern about her having old Chicago ties with President Obama.
Unfortunately our concerns are basically moot at this point because she is a safe enough choice that she will probably not get too much opposition from republicans.
Please read the store below by Dr. Watkins.
J
DR. BOYCE: Obama Got It Wrong With Supreme Court NomineeView Photos
By Dr. Boyce Watkins May 13, 2010 2:34 pm
I just did an appearance on MSNBC regarding Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan. After being peppered with emails all morning from a member of The White House staff, who seemed disappointed that black scholars are coming out against Kagan, I did a short inventory of all the reasons that I cannot, in good conscience, support this woman for the Supreme Court. How many reasons do black people have for NOT wanting Elena Kagan on the Supreme Court? Let me count the ways:
1) How do you hire 29 people, with 28 of them being white? While serving as dean at The Harvard Law School, Kagan did not hire a single African American tenured or tenure-track faculty member. This says, very clearly, that Elena Kagan doesn’t care about black people, at least when they are applying to be professors. It also says that with all the applications that poured in every year from top black attorneys, she didn’t feel that one single black, latino or native American scholar was qualified to teach at Harvard university. How can a school that claims to have such strong minds hold onto such an ignorant belief system?
2) Kagan didn’t hire any black people when she served as Solicitor General, either: Randall Kennedy, a black law professor at Harvard, came out in defense of Kagan, attempting to help us realize that she is Harriet Tubman in disguise – that she will whip off the mask and come through for black people in the end. He also argues that Kagan didn’t have enough power as dean at Harvard to make any minority hires. Alrighty then. In my 17 years in academia, I’ve never once seen a dean who didn’t know how to make things happened if they wanted to. But let’s assume that this is the case – that somehow Kagan, a woman with enough connections to be nominated for the Supreme Court, was somehow a powerless flunky at the Harvard Law School. What did she do when she actually had hiring power as Solicitor General? Nothing….nada….zippo. Once again, she hired three white women, one white man, an Indian man and an Asian man. Not one single Black, Native American or Latino person in the bunch. I’m starting to see a trend here, are you?
3) The same old Harvard/Chicago/Obama connection overrules actual credentials in the nomination process: Let’s be clear – Elena Kagan is not the best person for this job: ]Kagan was selected because she is the most qualified white liberal friend of Barack Obama who was willing to take the job. Her connections to The University of Chicago and Harvard University are the likely reasons she made it to Obama’s short list, for he has had no shame in showing his loyalty to other members of the Ivy League. Kagan’s appointment to the Supreme Court would be a Harvard/Yale sweep of the court, a tremendous insult to the other outstanding legal minds who didn’t go to Harvard or Yale.
I was very happy to see black law professors take a stand against the nomination of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. T’he reality is that she is nothing more than a clear reflection of the racist, elitist power structure, and does nothing to represent hope or change from a president who has trouble delivering either. I respect Barack Obama and appreciate political pragmatism, but black and brown people as a collective do not need to remain at the back of the bus. It’s time for real change and Kagan is certainly not it.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and the author of the book, “Black American Money.”
Now initially I was equally excited about Elana Kagan. I wanted to learn more about who she is. I was pleased by her accomplishments and drive at still a young age. However, as more has been revealed about her history, especially her hiring practices at Harvard, my excitement has wained. Please read an excerpt of an article by Dr. Boyce Watkins with News One. I believe he brings out some important points of concern regarding Kagan. I will say that my opinion departs as I do not share his concern about her having old Chicago ties with President Obama.
Unfortunately our concerns are basically moot at this point because she is a safe enough choice that she will probably not get too much opposition from republicans.
Please read the store below by Dr. Watkins.
J
DR. BOYCE: Obama Got It Wrong With Supreme Court NomineeView Photos
By Dr. Boyce Watkins May 13, 2010 2:34 pm
I just did an appearance on MSNBC regarding Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan. After being peppered with emails all morning from a member of The White House staff, who seemed disappointed that black scholars are coming out against Kagan, I did a short inventory of all the reasons that I cannot, in good conscience, support this woman for the Supreme Court. How many reasons do black people have for NOT wanting Elena Kagan on the Supreme Court? Let me count the ways:
1) How do you hire 29 people, with 28 of them being white? While serving as dean at The Harvard Law School, Kagan did not hire a single African American tenured or tenure-track faculty member. This says, very clearly, that Elena Kagan doesn’t care about black people, at least when they are applying to be professors. It also says that with all the applications that poured in every year from top black attorneys, she didn’t feel that one single black, latino or native American scholar was qualified to teach at Harvard university. How can a school that claims to have such strong minds hold onto such an ignorant belief system?
2) Kagan didn’t hire any black people when she served as Solicitor General, either: Randall Kennedy, a black law professor at Harvard, came out in defense of Kagan, attempting to help us realize that she is Harriet Tubman in disguise – that she will whip off the mask and come through for black people in the end. He also argues that Kagan didn’t have enough power as dean at Harvard to make any minority hires. Alrighty then. In my 17 years in academia, I’ve never once seen a dean who didn’t know how to make things happened if they wanted to. But let’s assume that this is the case – that somehow Kagan, a woman with enough connections to be nominated for the Supreme Court, was somehow a powerless flunky at the Harvard Law School. What did she do when she actually had hiring power as Solicitor General? Nothing….nada….zippo. Once again, she hired three white women, one white man, an Indian man and an Asian man. Not one single Black, Native American or Latino person in the bunch. I’m starting to see a trend here, are you?
3) The same old Harvard/Chicago/Obama connection overrules actual credentials in the nomination process: Let’s be clear – Elena Kagan is not the best person for this job: ]Kagan was selected because she is the most qualified white liberal friend of Barack Obama who was willing to take the job. Her connections to The University of Chicago and Harvard University are the likely reasons she made it to Obama’s short list, for he has had no shame in showing his loyalty to other members of the Ivy League. Kagan’s appointment to the Supreme Court would be a Harvard/Yale sweep of the court, a tremendous insult to the other outstanding legal minds who didn’t go to Harvard or Yale.
I was very happy to see black law professors take a stand against the nomination of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. T’he reality is that she is nothing more than a clear reflection of the racist, elitist power structure, and does nothing to represent hope or change from a president who has trouble delivering either. I respect Barack Obama and appreciate political pragmatism, but black and brown people as a collective do not need to remain at the back of the bus. It’s time for real change and Kagan is certainly not it.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and the author of the book, “Black American Money.”
Venus & Serena
As of Monday's new rankings, Serena and Venus Williams will once again be number one and number two in the world. This is a feat matched by no other siblings in the history of tennis, and is especially magnificent after their 15 year professional career. Here's to many more achievements and records to be broken! Below is the story posted at yahoo sports. Enjoy!
J
15 years on, Serena, Venus still at hurricane force
by Scott Williams
May 13, 9:19 pm EDT
MADRID (AFP) - Serena and Venus Williams are back on top of the world. More than 15 years after the history-making sisters blew into the women's game with hurricane force, they are still putting their rivals, many of them 10 years younger, to shame.
When the new WTA rankings are released on Monday, Serena will remain number one while Venus climbs back to second.
The Florida pair last stood together at the summit from May 5-11, 2003, with Venus dropping to third on May 12 to end that brief duopoly.
In between, Serena and Venus, who turned pro in 1995 and 1994 respectively, have watched the generations come and go, with the rise of the Russians, Serbs and Belgians.
But despite fluctuations in their rankings - Serena won the 2007 Australian Open after finishing the previous season standing 95th and having played only four events in 2006 - their staying power has been phenomenal.
Venus assured her rise from fourth to second behind her sibling by reaching the third round of this week's Madrid Masters, a tournament which saw Serena exit at the same stage.
"In the rankings, you keep going until you get to that number one spot," said Venus, who will be 30 in June and is the second oldest player in the top 50.
"Serena and I being number one and number two in the world is what we dreamed of growing up. But we each dreamed of being number one - neither of us dreamed of number two.
"I congratulate Serena on her ranking but I'm aiming to get there myself."
The pair have spent a total of 45 weeks in the leading positions.
The first four came between June 10-July 7, 2002 (Venus one, Serena two); the next 40 came between July 8, 2002-April 13, 2003 (Serena one, Venus two) and the last was May seven years ago.
"We can definitely celebrate," said Serena, whose Madrid run was ended in the third round by Nadia Petrova. "It's a great feat to be back at one and two.
"It's so amazing and it's a moment that we can always hold no matter what. We can always have this moment again."
Both sisters will be building focus for the May 23 start at Roland Garros, which 12-time Grand Slam champion Serena won in 2002 over her sister.
Recent Paris outings have been less successful, with Venus stalling in the third round for the last three editions and Serena a quarter-finalist in two of the last three years in the French capital.
For Serena, at least a few days this week will be spent at her flat in Paris, with Venus surely a welcome guest if required.
Serena said that she hopes to rid herself of accumulated stress, despite playing only her fourth event of 2010 after dealing with various knee problems in the three months since winning a fifth Australian Open.
"When you play matches, it's totally different than practise," she said. "Getting that match play, you put your body under different levels of stress.
"I feel like I've been under different levels of stress, and hopefully within the next week and a half I'll be better."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
J
15 years on, Serena, Venus still at hurricane force
by Scott Williams
May 13, 9:19 pm EDT
MADRID (AFP) - Serena and Venus Williams are back on top of the world. More than 15 years after the history-making sisters blew into the women's game with hurricane force, they are still putting their rivals, many of them 10 years younger, to shame.
When the new WTA rankings are released on Monday, Serena will remain number one while Venus climbs back to second.
The Florida pair last stood together at the summit from May 5-11, 2003, with Venus dropping to third on May 12 to end that brief duopoly.
In between, Serena and Venus, who turned pro in 1995 and 1994 respectively, have watched the generations come and go, with the rise of the Russians, Serbs and Belgians.
But despite fluctuations in their rankings - Serena won the 2007 Australian Open after finishing the previous season standing 95th and having played only four events in 2006 - their staying power has been phenomenal.
Venus assured her rise from fourth to second behind her sibling by reaching the third round of this week's Madrid Masters, a tournament which saw Serena exit at the same stage.
"In the rankings, you keep going until you get to that number one spot," said Venus, who will be 30 in June and is the second oldest player in the top 50.
"Serena and I being number one and number two in the world is what we dreamed of growing up. But we each dreamed of being number one - neither of us dreamed of number two.
"I congratulate Serena on her ranking but I'm aiming to get there myself."
The pair have spent a total of 45 weeks in the leading positions.
The first four came between June 10-July 7, 2002 (Venus one, Serena two); the next 40 came between July 8, 2002-April 13, 2003 (Serena one, Venus two) and the last was May seven years ago.
"We can definitely celebrate," said Serena, whose Madrid run was ended in the third round by Nadia Petrova. "It's a great feat to be back at one and two.
"It's so amazing and it's a moment that we can always hold no matter what. We can always have this moment again."
Both sisters will be building focus for the May 23 start at Roland Garros, which 12-time Grand Slam champion Serena won in 2002 over her sister.
Recent Paris outings have been less successful, with Venus stalling in the third round for the last three editions and Serena a quarter-finalist in two of the last three years in the French capital.
For Serena, at least a few days this week will be spent at her flat in Paris, with Venus surely a welcome guest if required.
Serena said that she hopes to rid herself of accumulated stress, despite playing only her fourth event of 2010 after dealing with various knee problems in the three months since winning a fifth Australian Open.
"When you play matches, it's totally different than practise," she said. "Getting that match play, you put your body under different levels of stress.
"I feel like I've been under different levels of stress, and hopefully within the next week and a half I'll be better."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, April 26, 2010
I am a Black Woman and I am Just Fine
The media seems to be inundating us with stories of the horrible plight of black women. Here are just a few of the negative statistics from so-called scientific studies:
One report says that by 2034, 100% of Black women will be overweight.
Another report says that a single Black woman’s median wealth amounts to a total of $5.
A third report says that 48% of Black women have the virus which causes herpes.
Other studies indicate that black women are the current number one group of people being infected with the HIV virus. Further still, several "investigative" news stories reveal that black women can not get men, for various reasons. One such recent show aired on ABC's "Nightline".
Is this a conspiracy theory to destroy the image of black women? I know that as a black woman I face enough challenges without having the results of these questionable studies heaped on the pile. Where are the studies showing the growing numbers of black women graduating from college and succeeding more than ever before in corporate America? Where are the studies showcasing the success, despite the recession, of black female entrepreneurs?
I am here to say for those of you who may have fallen victim to such stories and feel the need to worry about the sisters, first of all thank you for your concern, and second of all, please do not believe all you read or see. I am just fine, as are the vast majority of us black women. We are surviving and thriving. We are not broken, diseased and neglected as you may have been told. I am college educated, married, spiritually grounded and reasonably financially stable.
Please read this interesting article to get some clear understanding about some of these myths. http://bit.ly/aOkNdb
Also some stats from this opinion piece were found in an article posted on www.blackplanet.com by writer RK Byers.
J
One report says that by 2034, 100% of Black women will be overweight.
Another report says that a single Black woman’s median wealth amounts to a total of $5.
A third report says that 48% of Black women have the virus which causes herpes.
Other studies indicate that black women are the current number one group of people being infected with the HIV virus. Further still, several "investigative" news stories reveal that black women can not get men, for various reasons. One such recent show aired on ABC's "Nightline".
Is this a conspiracy theory to destroy the image of black women? I know that as a black woman I face enough challenges without having the results of these questionable studies heaped on the pile. Where are the studies showing the growing numbers of black women graduating from college and succeeding more than ever before in corporate America? Where are the studies showcasing the success, despite the recession, of black female entrepreneurs?
I am here to say for those of you who may have fallen victim to such stories and feel the need to worry about the sisters, first of all thank you for your concern, and second of all, please do not believe all you read or see. I am just fine, as are the vast majority of us black women. We are surviving and thriving. We are not broken, diseased and neglected as you may have been told. I am college educated, married, spiritually grounded and reasonably financially stable.
Please read this interesting article to get some clear understanding about some of these myths. http://bit.ly/aOkNdb
Also some stats from this opinion piece were found in an article posted on www.blackplanet.com by writer RK Byers.
J
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Beauty in the World
"Beauty in the World" is the title of Macy Gray's latest single. I'll admit I have never been much of a Macy fan, other than appreciating her uniqueness as an artist. I came across the video on You Tube and the title captured me and made me want to see what she had to say. I really enjoyed the video. The song was a reminder that in spite of all the problems going on in the world, this is still an amazing place to be. The sun yet rises, the flowers continue to bloom, rivers flow, you name it. Life goes on and there is plenty to enjoy regardless of your circumstances. It's easy to get caught up in the negative aspects of life. We see all too much of it in the media. Turn off the tube and get out and enjoy the beauty of a nice spring day! Count your blessings and spread positivity.
J
J
Vice President Joe Biden
I had the pleasure of attending the annual Partner's In Peace luncheon for the Center for Prevention of Abuse. As everyone knows, the key note speaker was Vice President Joe Biden. Words can not express how touched I was by his speech. He gave the background details on the work that went in to getting the V.A.W.A. bill passed, which stands for violence against women act. This act administers financial support for domestic violence programs and shelters all over the country, and develops policy around the issues of domestic violence and sexual assault. I didn't know how instrumental Biden was in getting the act passed. It was a 20 year labor of love for Biden who had been inspired by his father in authoring the bill. He spoke for nearly an hour with conviction and passion on the subject. He told touching stories about some of the many families he had met who had been affected by domestic violence. Biden was a phenomenal Senator and continues to do important work for everyday people as Vice President. It's too bad that as of late he seems to be known more for his gaffes than his accomplishments and policies. I encourage you to get to know all of the wonderful things he has done and continues to do. It is good to know what a wonderful man we have as Vice President. He is a true compliment to President Obama.
J
J
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Halelujah for Health Care!!
I am happy that health care reform has passed! It was a hard won victory. I am ashamed at the shenanigans of some republicans and tea partiers. Acts and threats of violence must be denounced! Read below for some of the ignorance to be revealed via www.moveon.org:
"Last weekend, anti-health care protesters were out in force in Washington—and some of their behavior was deeply disturbing.
A crowd of tea partiers shouted the "n word" at Congressman John Lewis, a former civil rights leader who marched with Dr. King. They yelled homophobic epithets at Rep. Barney Frank, an openly gay congressman. And one protester actually spat on a Black member of Congress.1
Then this week, Democrats who voted for reform began receiving death threats—one had a coffin left on his lawn and another was told snipers would kill the children of lawmakers who voted yes.2 Several Democrats had their district offices vandalized, and a gas line was cut at a home that tea partiers mistakenly believed belonged to Rep. Tom Perriello.3
A few Republicans have spoken out against the racism and violence, but most are still treating them as "isolated incidents."4 They are not isolated. They've been part of Republican-supported tea parties for almost a year and they're a natural consequence of telling people that reform is a totalitarian plot."
Be informed and help spread the truth about the benefits of this newly passed health care bill. Continue to let your voices be heard. Write letters sharing your health care experiences. Read below for more information about the bill via www.barackobama.com:
"It establishes the toughest patient protections in history.
It guarantees all Americans affordable health insurance options, extending coverage to 32 million who are currently uninsured.
And it reduces the cost of care -- cutting over 1 trillion dollars from the federal deficit over the next two decades.
To ensure a successful, stable transition, many of these changes will phase into full effect over the next several years.
But for millions of Americans, many of the benefits of reform will begin this year -- some even taking effect this afternoon. Here are just a few examples:
Small businesses will receive significant tax cuts, this year, to help them afford health coverage for all their employees.
Seniors will receive a rebate to reduce drug costs not yet covered under Medicare.
Young people will be allowed coverage under their parents' plan until the age of 26.
Early retirees will receive help to reduce premium costs.
Children will be protected against discrimination on the basis of medical history.
Uninsured Americans with pre-existing conditions can join a special high-risk pool to get the coverage they need, starting in just 90 days.
Insured Americans will be protected from seeing their insurance revoked when they get sick, or facing restrictive annual limits on the care they receive.
All Americans will benefit from significant new investments to train primary care doctors, nurses, and public health professionals, and the creation of state-level consumer assistance programs to help all patients understand and defend our new rights."
J
"Last weekend, anti-health care protesters were out in force in Washington—and some of their behavior was deeply disturbing.
A crowd of tea partiers shouted the "n word" at Congressman John Lewis, a former civil rights leader who marched with Dr. King. They yelled homophobic epithets at Rep. Barney Frank, an openly gay congressman. And one protester actually spat on a Black member of Congress.1
Then this week, Democrats who voted for reform began receiving death threats—one had a coffin left on his lawn and another was told snipers would kill the children of lawmakers who voted yes.2 Several Democrats had their district offices vandalized, and a gas line was cut at a home that tea partiers mistakenly believed belonged to Rep. Tom Perriello.3
A few Republicans have spoken out against the racism and violence, but most are still treating them as "isolated incidents."4 They are not isolated. They've been part of Republican-supported tea parties for almost a year and they're a natural consequence of telling people that reform is a totalitarian plot."
Be informed and help spread the truth about the benefits of this newly passed health care bill. Continue to let your voices be heard. Write letters sharing your health care experiences. Read below for more information about the bill via www.barackobama.com:
"It establishes the toughest patient protections in history.
It guarantees all Americans affordable health insurance options, extending coverage to 32 million who are currently uninsured.
And it reduces the cost of care -- cutting over 1 trillion dollars from the federal deficit over the next two decades.
To ensure a successful, stable transition, many of these changes will phase into full effect over the next several years.
But for millions of Americans, many of the benefits of reform will begin this year -- some even taking effect this afternoon. Here are just a few examples:
Small businesses will receive significant tax cuts, this year, to help them afford health coverage for all their employees.
Seniors will receive a rebate to reduce drug costs not yet covered under Medicare.
Young people will be allowed coverage under their parents' plan until the age of 26.
Early retirees will receive help to reduce premium costs.
Children will be protected against discrimination on the basis of medical history.
Uninsured Americans with pre-existing conditions can join a special high-risk pool to get the coverage they need, starting in just 90 days.
Insured Americans will be protected from seeing their insurance revoked when they get sick, or facing restrictive annual limits on the care they receive.
All Americans will benefit from significant new investments to train primary care doctors, nurses, and public health professionals, and the creation of state-level consumer assistance programs to help all patients understand and defend our new rights."
J
Saturday, March 20, 2010
History in the Making!!
Be sure and be tuned in to your television tomorrow evening. I'm sure all the news outlets are going to be covering the final vote for health care reform. I'll be the first to admit that this bill is not perfect. I still say that the public option was the best course of action, but it was compromised out of the bill. Yet, this bill will still help the more than 30 million Americans who are currently without health care. I hope and pray that the democrats along with some republicans will have courage enough to do what is right. Watch tomorrow and share your thoughts.
J
J
Stagnant
Stagnant: not moving or flowing; motionless. The following is my favorite definition of stagnant: showing little or no sign of activity or advancement; not developing. Wow. I hardly need to say more. Take an honest look at your life. Can it be said that you are in a condition of stagnation? First take a look at your spiritual growth or lack there of, and then also apply it to your natural life.
Are you reaching higher heights and deeper depths in Christ? Have you overcome some of the tests and trials that plagued your progress in the beginning, or are you still at that same initial phase in your spiritual development?
Are you stuck in a rut at a job you don't necessarily like, let alone love. Are you under-appreciated and under-paid? Have you gone as far as your education and skill level will take you, but you stay because you fear stepping out in a new direction?
It is so easy to become comfortable and complacent in a situation, even when we are not happy or fulfilled. It can be caused by fear, lack of faith, laziness or simply procrastination. Many times God has given us dreams and visions of a better life, the life that He has intended for us, but we settle for what is comfortable and known. If you find that you are stagnant, ask God to move you. Ask Him to show you what He would have you do with your life. Following God's divine direction will bring you the blessings, peace and happiness you long for. Move and flow with God!
On the Move,
J
Are you reaching higher heights and deeper depths in Christ? Have you overcome some of the tests and trials that plagued your progress in the beginning, or are you still at that same initial phase in your spiritual development?
Are you stuck in a rut at a job you don't necessarily like, let alone love. Are you under-appreciated and under-paid? Have you gone as far as your education and skill level will take you, but you stay because you fear stepping out in a new direction?
It is so easy to become comfortable and complacent in a situation, even when we are not happy or fulfilled. It can be caused by fear, lack of faith, laziness or simply procrastination. Many times God has given us dreams and visions of a better life, the life that He has intended for us, but we settle for what is comfortable and known. If you find that you are stagnant, ask God to move you. Ask Him to show you what He would have you do with your life. Following God's divine direction will bring you the blessings, peace and happiness you long for. Move and flow with God!
On the Move,
J
Prayer Request
The grandson of one of my co-workers has been diagnosed with an extremely aggressive form of leukemia. He is just eight years old! He has begun a powerful series of chemotherapy treatments which can be devastating. Please remember to add little Andrew to your prayer lists. I hope to have wonderful praise reports in the near future. There is nothing too hard for God and the power of prayer.
Thanks,
J
Thanks,
J
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Tech Lesson
Hi guys and gals. I thought I would share a lesson I learned the hard way this week. Two years ago I purchased a big screen tv. We loved it! It was an HDTV with a great clear picture. It was absolutely perfect for watching movies. Fast forward to our nightmare. The picture went out. It was a projection tv (with the latest technology) so we assumed it was the bulb. After purchasing an expensive bulb we discovered the picture still did not work. We had to pay a tv repair person to come out. We were delivered shocking news. Our tv was now obsolete and most of the parts for the tv are no longer produced, including the part we needed for the repair. So we basically are the owners of a $1,500 dust collector. Oh, we could get it fixed for more than the tv is worth, so that is out of the question.
My advice to you is if you are making ANY major electronic purchase do your research!!! Had we known those tv's were basically obsolete and could not be repaired we would not have chosen that tv. We made the mistake of making a wow factor purchase based on screen size. Wrong!!!! Our second mistake was not purchasing an extended warranty. We assumed the year warranty would be good enough. Of course nothing ever happens within your warranty. Spend the extra money up front and it will pay off. I'm so angry that I want to take a baseball bat to it, but as my husband reminded me, it's not the tv's fault. My final piece of advice to you is never make a major electronic purchase at a major discount store. Go where the staff is actually trained in their products and can answer any questions you may have. Make educated purchases.
In review:
1- Do your research!! Use the Internet for customer reviews. Technology is changing daily, so make sure your purchase is a good one for the life of the product.
2- Always purchase an extended warranty. I know the temptation is to be cheap and stick with the basic warranty. Do not make my mistake.
3- Try to avoid making major electronic purchases at discount chains. I don't want to throw anyone under the bus, but the store I went to starts with a 'W'. (LOL) Go where the staff is educated on their products.
Learn from my lesson and happy shopping! Guess what I'll be doing this weekend. UGH!!
J
My advice to you is if you are making ANY major electronic purchase do your research!!! Had we known those tv's were basically obsolete and could not be repaired we would not have chosen that tv. We made the mistake of making a wow factor purchase based on screen size. Wrong!!!! Our second mistake was not purchasing an extended warranty. We assumed the year warranty would be good enough. Of course nothing ever happens within your warranty. Spend the extra money up front and it will pay off. I'm so angry that I want to take a baseball bat to it, but as my husband reminded me, it's not the tv's fault. My final piece of advice to you is never make a major electronic purchase at a major discount store. Go where the staff is actually trained in their products and can answer any questions you may have. Make educated purchases.
In review:
1- Do your research!! Use the Internet for customer reviews. Technology is changing daily, so make sure your purchase is a good one for the life of the product.
2- Always purchase an extended warranty. I know the temptation is to be cheap and stick with the basic warranty. Do not make my mistake.
3- Try to avoid making major electronic purchases at discount chains. I don't want to throw anyone under the bus, but the store I went to starts with a 'W'. (LOL) Go where the staff is educated on their products.
Learn from my lesson and happy shopping! Guess what I'll be doing this weekend. UGH!!
J
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Spring Cleaning
The deep winter chill is finally lifting! The birds are coming back, as evidenced by the barrage of bird poop on my car. Now I'm thinking about spring cleaning. Now there is plenty to be done in my house, but I'm also talking about spiritual spring cleaning and cleaning in the way of evaluating relationships. I read a quote online that was allegedly from Will Smith, and it goes something like you are as successful as the five people in your life you are closest to. That is really something to think about! I'm not talking about in terms of their financial success alone. What is more important is how they encourage and support you to be your best. I'm pleased to say in that regard I am blessed with mostly positive family and friends. I couldn't always say that, but over the years I have been able to weed out the negative folks. How about you? Will you take on the spring cleaning challenge in every aspect of your life? You'll be amazed by the difference.
J
J
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Unity
There have been few days in our nation's history that shared a moment of unity like the inauguration of our current president Barack Obama. Skeptics and supporters alike knew what an opportunity of healing it meant. Sadly, that unity began to fizzle almost as soon as the next day. Republicans began their strategy of just say no and break Obama at all costs. Democrats began to jockey for positions of importance and take advantage of the country's good will toward Obama for their own personal gain. From the GOP (with some sinister assistance) came the tea party movement. Other divisions arose within the republican party to make it obvious to all that they can not seem to get it together and unify for their common cause, which is purely anti-Obama. Democrats have not been without their own in-fighting. We can see it even within black leaders such as Tavis Smiley and Al Sharton. What happened to that feeling of unity and good will that was all too short lived? When will we learn that we all want the same basic things in life, to live in peace with at least reasonable prosperity and happy healthy families? There is more that we share in common than what divides and separates us. Let's come together for the greater good of humanity.
J
J
Saturday, February 20, 2010
My Take on Tiger
I could go so many directions with this one. (LOL) If you take nothing else away from what I'm about to say, please remember this....STOP MAKING CELEBRITIES ROLE MODELS. We have ALL sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. This does not make any sin excusable, but it's a fact. Whatever goes on in Tiger's marriage is between God, him and his family. We have become a society of voyeurs, and especially into the lives of celebrities. Somehow because their careers make them public figures, the huge salaries they command, and the glamorous lives they lead we feel that their personal lives are ours to pick apart. WRONG!! They are simply fallible human beings just like each of us.
We need to take responsibility for our contribution to this voyeuristic phenomenon. The media feeds us what we consume. What do we do to change things? Stop watching television programs that promote celeb voyeurism, stop buying the tabloid magazines and stop commenting on-line. If we would all turn our interests to our lives then such public fiasco's as the Tiger scandal would become irrelevant. We must also teach our children who their real role models should be and that list should not only include athletes and celebrities. We should celebrate individuals who make great contributions to the betterment of mankind. Sometimes that list will include athletes and celebrities, many of which have shown themselves to be benevolent to many worthy causes and charities.
I was disturbed to hear during a broadcast of a show here on the radio station that the vast majority of our local schools, public and private, have not acknowledged Black History Month. How sad!! Instead of remembering what this month is supposed to be about, the focus is on something as shallow as Tiger's infidelity. SMH! What a shame.
J
We need to take responsibility for our contribution to this voyeuristic phenomenon. The media feeds us what we consume. What do we do to change things? Stop watching television programs that promote celeb voyeurism, stop buying the tabloid magazines and stop commenting on-line. If we would all turn our interests to our lives then such public fiasco's as the Tiger scandal would become irrelevant. We must also teach our children who their real role models should be and that list should not only include athletes and celebrities. We should celebrate individuals who make great contributions to the betterment of mankind. Sometimes that list will include athletes and celebrities, many of which have shown themselves to be benevolent to many worthy causes and charities.
I was disturbed to hear during a broadcast of a show here on the radio station that the vast majority of our local schools, public and private, have not acknowledged Black History Month. How sad!! Instead of remembering what this month is supposed to be about, the focus is on something as shallow as Tiger's infidelity. SMH! What a shame.
J
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Quick Encouragement
For anyone going through something, take comfort in these scriptures:
1 I love the lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.
2 Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him
as long as I live.
5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.
12 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me?
13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.
Psalm 116
I was blessed by that word in my personal Bible study last night. It was a reminder to me that God hears our prayers and is gracious to answer. For that I am beyond thankful!
Be blessed,
J
1 I love the lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.
2 Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him
as long as I live.
5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.
12 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me?
13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.
Psalm 116
I was blessed by that word in my personal Bible study last night. It was a reminder to me that God hears our prayers and is gracious to answer. For that I am beyond thankful!
Be blessed,
J
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Valentine's Day
Happy Valentine's Day in advance to all of you! Regardless as to whether you are single or married, widowed or otherwise. Valentine's Day has its share of critics, and with valid points, but I choose to look it at it as a holiday set aside for celebrating love in all its forms. Sure, there is the materialistic side of the holiday and I feel the fellas when they say that they are held hostage to buying flowers, candy and jewelry. BUT, the most memorable thing you can do is simply say "I Love You." Take back the holiday for what is should be about, love. Go out of your way to tell someone how much they mean to you. Write a letter, make a call, give them face time. However you choose to do it, do just that. At the end of the day it's not about how much money you spend. The flowers will die, the jewelry may tarnish and the chocolates will be consumed, then what? What is the motive for the gift? Believe me when I tell you, no matter how much money you spend, if it's done so in duress and insincerity you might as well forget it. Genuine love is free! We won't remember the gifts, but we will remember what you do day to day to show us love. Love is comforting us when we are grieving or sick. Love is putting other's needs ahead of your own. Love is being there just because. See what I mean? Give love on Valentine's Day! Give yourself.
Peace and Love,
J
Peace and Love,
J
Monday, February 1, 2010
Just a Reminder!
Tomorrow is election day! Please come on out and show your support for this very important local and state election. You will have until 7:00 pm tomorrow evening to vote! Many key positions are up for grabs! Make your voice heard in EVERY election.
J
J
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Local Elections
Hello everyone! As you know from my last blog regarding the senatorial election in Massachusetts I am not pleased with the direction of voter displeasure sweeping the nation. We must all be as diligent in our local elections as were are in the national elections. What happens in your community matters and you can make a difference! Please get out and vote in ALL elections! Here in Peoria, Illinois we have an important election coming up February 2, 2010. Positions on our local school board will be decided as well as many other key positions. Early voting is going on now! Don't wait. Check with the local election commission for convenient early voting hours. As a matter of fact I plan on getting my voting done today after my shift here at the radio station. Be diligent and make a difference, and it begins at home.
J
J
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Election Nightmare
I kept holding out hope for yesterday's election in Massachusetts. I refused to believe that the seat held by the late great Senator Ted Kennedy could be taken by a republican, but I was wrong. There is so much anger and frustration directed at President Obama's administration and it is completely unfair. What are people thinking? What happened to having patience? Obama could not possibly undo eight years of decline in just a year. Yet some people have been allowed to be sucked in by the negative smear campaign of the GOP.
I have to question what liberals are doing. Democratic in-fighting and wishy-washiness is allowing the party to be distracted enough for the GOP agenda to move forward and that agenda is sick. The GOP agenda is to simply ruin President Obama by any means necessary. They have managed to create an atmosphere of fear and hate and if not checked could cause some serious problems in the near future. Now the hate mongering tea baggers will be even more encouraged to spread lies. The democrats must get their act together and learn what unity means, if not we'll see more repeats of this Massachusetts fiasco.
J
I have to question what liberals are doing. Democratic in-fighting and wishy-washiness is allowing the party to be distracted enough for the GOP agenda to move forward and that agenda is sick. The GOP agenda is to simply ruin President Obama by any means necessary. They have managed to create an atmosphere of fear and hate and if not checked could cause some serious problems in the near future. Now the hate mongering tea baggers will be even more encouraged to spread lies. The democrats must get their act together and learn what unity means, if not we'll see more repeats of this Massachusetts fiasco.
J
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Stellar Award Winners
Congratulations to all the winners of the 25th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards! Special shout out to Pastor Hezekiah Walker for an amazing five wins! I wish I could have been there, but watch out, that is a goal for the near future.
J
THE WINNERS ARE:
Artist of the Year: Hezekiah Walker and Love Fellowship; Souled Out; Verity Records
Song of the Year: Mary, Mary, "God in Me" - The Sound, Columbia
Male Vocalist of the Year:Smokie Norful, Smokie Norful Live, EMI Gospel
Female Vocalist of the Year:Vickie Winans, How I Got Over, Destiny Joy Records
Group Duo of the Year:Mary, Mary, The Sound, Columbia
New Artist of the Year:Crystal Aikin, Crystal Aikin, Verity Records
CD of the Year:Hezekiah Walker and Love Fellowship; Souled Out; Verity Records
Choir of the Year:Hezekiah Walker and Love Fellowship, Souled Out, Verity Records
Producer of the Year:Donald Lawrence & Daniel Weatherspoon, The Law of Confession Part 1, Quiet Water/Verity
Contemporary Group/Duo of the Year:Mary, Mary, The Sound, Columbia
Traditional Group/Duo of the Year: Lee Williams & The Spiritual QC's, Fall On Me, MCG Records
Contemporary Male of the Year:Smokie Norful, Smokie Norful Live, EMI Gospel
Traditional Male of the Year:Donnie McClurkin, We All Are One (Live in Detroit), Verity Records
Contemporary Female of the Year:Crystal Aikin, Crystal Aikin, Verity Records
Traditional Female of the Year:Dottie Peoples, Do It!, DP Muzik Group
Contemporary CD of the Year:Hezekiah Walker and Love Fellowship, Souled Out, Verity Records
Traditional CD of the Year:Shari Addison, Shari Addison, Verity Records
Urban/ Inspirational Single / Performance of the Year:Mary, Mary, "God in Me" - The Sound, Columbia
Music Video of the Year:Vickie Winans, How I Got Over, Destiny Joy Records
Traditional Choir of the Year:Bishop Paul S. Morton & The FGBCF Mass Choir, Cry Your Last Tear, Light Records
Contemporary Choir of the Year:Hezekiah Walker and Love Fellowship, Souled Out, Verity Records
Instrumental CD of the Year:Ben Tankard, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, Verity
Special Event CD of the Year:The Clark Sisters, J. Moss and Kierra Sheard, Silky Soul Music -A Tribute to Maze, Barantera Music Grou
Rap/Hip Hop Gospel CD of the Year:Da' T.R.U.T.H., The Big Picture, Cross Movement Records
Children's Performance of the Year:Rev. Dr. Emory Andrews and Oxon Hill High School Choir, Amazing, Yrome Records
Quartet of the Year:Lee Williams & The Spiritual QC's, Fall On Me, MCG Records
Recorded Music Package of the Year:Denise Trotman, Donald Lawrence - The Confession Part 1, Quiet Water/Verity
Praise and Worship CD of the Year:Stephen Hurd, Times of Refreshing, Integrity Gospel
J
THE WINNERS ARE:
Artist of the Year: Hezekiah Walker and Love Fellowship; Souled Out; Verity Records
Song of the Year: Mary, Mary, "God in Me" - The Sound, Columbia
Male Vocalist of the Year:Smokie Norful, Smokie Norful Live, EMI Gospel
Female Vocalist of the Year:Vickie Winans, How I Got Over, Destiny Joy Records
Group Duo of the Year:Mary, Mary, The Sound, Columbia
New Artist of the Year:Crystal Aikin, Crystal Aikin, Verity Records
CD of the Year:Hezekiah Walker and Love Fellowship; Souled Out; Verity Records
Choir of the Year:Hezekiah Walker and Love Fellowship, Souled Out, Verity Records
Producer of the Year:Donald Lawrence & Daniel Weatherspoon, The Law of Confession Part 1, Quiet Water/Verity
Contemporary Group/Duo of the Year:Mary, Mary, The Sound, Columbia
Traditional Group/Duo of the Year: Lee Williams & The Spiritual QC's, Fall On Me, MCG Records
Contemporary Male of the Year:Smokie Norful, Smokie Norful Live, EMI Gospel
Traditional Male of the Year:Donnie McClurkin, We All Are One (Live in Detroit), Verity Records
Contemporary Female of the Year:Crystal Aikin, Crystal Aikin, Verity Records
Traditional Female of the Year:Dottie Peoples, Do It!, DP Muzik Group
Contemporary CD of the Year:Hezekiah Walker and Love Fellowship, Souled Out, Verity Records
Traditional CD of the Year:Shari Addison, Shari Addison, Verity Records
Urban/ Inspirational Single / Performance of the Year:Mary, Mary, "God in Me" - The Sound, Columbia
Music Video of the Year:Vickie Winans, How I Got Over, Destiny Joy Records
Traditional Choir of the Year:Bishop Paul S. Morton & The FGBCF Mass Choir, Cry Your Last Tear, Light Records
Contemporary Choir of the Year:Hezekiah Walker and Love Fellowship, Souled Out, Verity Records
Instrumental CD of the Year:Ben Tankard, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, Verity
Special Event CD of the Year:The Clark Sisters, J. Moss and Kierra Sheard, Silky Soul Music -A Tribute to Maze, Barantera Music Grou
Rap/Hip Hop Gospel CD of the Year:Da' T.R.U.T.H., The Big Picture, Cross Movement Records
Children's Performance of the Year:Rev. Dr. Emory Andrews and Oxon Hill High School Choir, Amazing, Yrome Records
Quartet of the Year:Lee Williams & The Spiritual QC's, Fall On Me, MCG Records
Recorded Music Package of the Year:Denise Trotman, Donald Lawrence - The Confession Part 1, Quiet Water/Verity
Praise and Worship CD of the Year:Stephen Hurd, Times of Refreshing, Integrity Gospel
Monday, January 18, 2010
MLK Day
Once again President Obama is observing the King holiday with service. Not just lip service, but actually serving others at a homeless shelter. He was joined by his entire family. Kudos to the Obama family for being an example of service to us all. In honor of Dr. King I have posted the transcript from his acceptance speech for the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize, a prize in which our current President received just a few short months ago. Enjoy and remember to keep the dream alive!
J
Acceptance Speech
Martin Luther King's Acceptance Speech, on the occasion of the award of the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, December 10, 1964
Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness, Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen:I accept the Nobel Prize for Peace at a moment when 22 million Negroes of the United States of America are engaged in a creative battle to end the long night of racial injustice. I accept this award on behalf of a civil rights movement which is moving with determination and a majestic scorn for risk and danger to establish a reign of freedom and a rule of justice. I am mindful that only yesterday in Birmingham, Alabama, our children, crying out for brotherhood, were answered with fire hoses, snarling dogs and even death. I am mindful that only yesterday in Philadelphia, Mississippi, young people seeking to secure the right to vote were brutalized and murdered. And only yesterday more than 40 houses of worship in the State of Mississippi alone were bombed or burned because they offered a sanctuary to those who would not accept segregation. I am mindful that debilitating and grinding poverty afflicts my people and chains them to the lowest rung of the economic ladder.
Therefore, I must ask why this prize is awarded to a movement which is beleaguered and committed to unrelenting struggle; to a movement which has not won the very peace and brotherhood which is the essence of the Nobel Prize.
After contemplation, I conclude that this award which I receive on behalf of that movement is a profound recognition that nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral question of our time - the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to violence and oppression. Civilization and violence are antithetical concepts. Negroes of the United States, following the people of India, have demonstrated that nonviolence is not sterile passivity, but a powerful moral force which makes for social transformation. Sooner or later all the people of the world will have to discover a way to live together in peace, and thereby transform this pending cosmic elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood. If this is to be achieved, man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.
The tortuous road which has led from Montgomery, Alabama to Oslo bears witness to this truth. This is a road over which millions of Negroes are travelling to find a new sense of dignity. This same road has opened for all Americans a new era of progress and hope. It has led to a new Civil Rights Bill, and it will, I am convinced, be widened and lengthened into a super highway of justice as Negro and white men in increasing numbers create alliances to overcome their common problems.
I accept this award today with an abiding faith in America and an audacious faith in the future of mankind. I refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history. I refuse to accept the idea that the "isness" of man's present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal "oughtness" that forever confronts him. I refuse to accept the idea that man is mere flotsom and jetsom in the river of life, unable to influence the unfolding events which surround him. I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.
I refuse to accept the cynical notion that nation after nation must spiral down a militaristic stairway into the hell of thermonuclear destruction. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant. I believe that even amid today's mortar bursts and whining bullets, there is still hope for a brighter tomorrow. I believe that wounded justice, lying prostrate on the blood-flowing streets of our nations, can be lifted from this dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of men. I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down men other-centered can build up. I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and nonviolent redemptive good will proclaim the rule of the land. "And the lion and the lamb shall lie down together and every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid." I still believe that We Shall overcome!
This faith can give us courage to face the uncertainties of the future. It will give our tired feet new strength as we continue our forward stride toward the city of freedom. When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds and our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, we will know that we are living in the creative turmoil of a genuine civilization struggling to be born.
Today I come to Oslo as a trustee, inspired and with renewed dedication to humanity. I accept this prize on behalf of all men who love peace and brotherhood. I say I come as a trustee, for in the depths of my heart I am aware that this prize is much more than an honor to me personally.
Every time I take a flight, I am always mindful of the many people who make a successful journey possible - the known pilots and the unknown ground crew.
So you honor the dedicated pilots of our struggle who have sat at the controls as the freedom movement soared into orbit. You honor, once again, Chief Lutuli of South Africa, whose struggles with and for his people, are still met with the most brutal expression of man's inhumanity to man. You honor the ground crew without whose labor and sacrifices the jet flights to freedom could never have left the earth. Most of these people will never make the headline and their names will not appear in Who's Who. Yet when years have rolled past and when the blazing light of truth is focused on this marvellous age in which we live - men and women will know and children will be taught that we have a finer land, a better people, a more noble civilization - because these humble children of God were willing to suffer for righteousness' sake.
I think Alfred Nobel would know what I mean when I say that I accept this award in the spirit of a curator of some precious heirloom which he holds in trust for its true owners - all those to whom beauty is truth and truth beauty - and in whose eyes the beauty of genuine brotherhood and peace is more precious than diamonds or silver or gold.
From Les Prix Nobel en 1964, Editor Göran Liljestrand, [Nobel Foundation], Stockholm, 1965
J
Acceptance Speech
Martin Luther King's Acceptance Speech, on the occasion of the award of the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, December 10, 1964
Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness, Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen:I accept the Nobel Prize for Peace at a moment when 22 million Negroes of the United States of America are engaged in a creative battle to end the long night of racial injustice. I accept this award on behalf of a civil rights movement which is moving with determination and a majestic scorn for risk and danger to establish a reign of freedom and a rule of justice. I am mindful that only yesterday in Birmingham, Alabama, our children, crying out for brotherhood, were answered with fire hoses, snarling dogs and even death. I am mindful that only yesterday in Philadelphia, Mississippi, young people seeking to secure the right to vote were brutalized and murdered. And only yesterday more than 40 houses of worship in the State of Mississippi alone were bombed or burned because they offered a sanctuary to those who would not accept segregation. I am mindful that debilitating and grinding poverty afflicts my people and chains them to the lowest rung of the economic ladder.
Therefore, I must ask why this prize is awarded to a movement which is beleaguered and committed to unrelenting struggle; to a movement which has not won the very peace and brotherhood which is the essence of the Nobel Prize.
After contemplation, I conclude that this award which I receive on behalf of that movement is a profound recognition that nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral question of our time - the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to violence and oppression. Civilization and violence are antithetical concepts. Negroes of the United States, following the people of India, have demonstrated that nonviolence is not sterile passivity, but a powerful moral force which makes for social transformation. Sooner or later all the people of the world will have to discover a way to live together in peace, and thereby transform this pending cosmic elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood. If this is to be achieved, man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.
The tortuous road which has led from Montgomery, Alabama to Oslo bears witness to this truth. This is a road over which millions of Negroes are travelling to find a new sense of dignity. This same road has opened for all Americans a new era of progress and hope. It has led to a new Civil Rights Bill, and it will, I am convinced, be widened and lengthened into a super highway of justice as Negro and white men in increasing numbers create alliances to overcome their common problems.
I accept this award today with an abiding faith in America and an audacious faith in the future of mankind. I refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history. I refuse to accept the idea that the "isness" of man's present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal "oughtness" that forever confronts him. I refuse to accept the idea that man is mere flotsom and jetsom in the river of life, unable to influence the unfolding events which surround him. I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.
I refuse to accept the cynical notion that nation after nation must spiral down a militaristic stairway into the hell of thermonuclear destruction. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant. I believe that even amid today's mortar bursts and whining bullets, there is still hope for a brighter tomorrow. I believe that wounded justice, lying prostrate on the blood-flowing streets of our nations, can be lifted from this dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of men. I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down men other-centered can build up. I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and nonviolent redemptive good will proclaim the rule of the land. "And the lion and the lamb shall lie down together and every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid." I still believe that We Shall overcome!
This faith can give us courage to face the uncertainties of the future. It will give our tired feet new strength as we continue our forward stride toward the city of freedom. When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds and our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, we will know that we are living in the creative turmoil of a genuine civilization struggling to be born.
Today I come to Oslo as a trustee, inspired and with renewed dedication to humanity. I accept this prize on behalf of all men who love peace and brotherhood. I say I come as a trustee, for in the depths of my heart I am aware that this prize is much more than an honor to me personally.
Every time I take a flight, I am always mindful of the many people who make a successful journey possible - the known pilots and the unknown ground crew.
So you honor the dedicated pilots of our struggle who have sat at the controls as the freedom movement soared into orbit. You honor, once again, Chief Lutuli of South Africa, whose struggles with and for his people, are still met with the most brutal expression of man's inhumanity to man. You honor the ground crew without whose labor and sacrifices the jet flights to freedom could never have left the earth. Most of these people will never make the headline and their names will not appear in Who's Who. Yet when years have rolled past and when the blazing light of truth is focused on this marvellous age in which we live - men and women will know and children will be taught that we have a finer land, a better people, a more noble civilization - because these humble children of God were willing to suffer for righteousness' sake.
I think Alfred Nobel would know what I mean when I say that I accept this award in the spirit of a curator of some precious heirloom which he holds in trust for its true owners - all those to whom beauty is truth and truth beauty - and in whose eyes the beauty of genuine brotherhood and peace is more precious than diamonds or silver or gold.
From Les Prix Nobel en 1964, Editor Göran Liljestrand, [Nobel Foundation], Stockholm, 1965
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Happy Birthday Dr. King!!
Everyone once in a while the question is raised as to the relevance of the King holiday. To that I say that Dr. King's holiday will always be relevant, especially as long as hatred and intolerance exists anywhere in the world. Dr. King's life of self-sacrifice for civil rights is an example to be followed. Last year President Obama declared the King holiday a day of community service. Let's follow in that tradition. I know we are still battling our own economic hardship, but the recent and ongoing tragedy in Haiti is tiny in comparison. Please make a donation and say a prayer for the survivors in Haiti. I can not imagine having my entire country decimated within minutes. I can't comprehend that level of devastation. Remember King and remember Haiti.
J
J
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Sen. Harry Reid
Before you read any further, be forewarned that my comments will be controversial to some of you. I've waited a while to voice my opinion since the fallout from Sen. Reid's comments about President Barack Obama. Actually his comments were made while Obama was yet a senator and had just begun his quest for the White House.
I have no issue, for the most part, with what Sen. Reid said. Shocking, I know. (LOL) The sad truth is that his remarks about Obama being more acceptable to the white majority because he has fair skin and no "negro dialect" is accurate. You may not want to outwardly agree with me, but deep inside you know it's true. I hate to say it and of course I would love for that not to be true, but we know we have not yet come that far in this country. Just look at all the detractors to this day that say Obama isn't an American citizen or that he is a Muslim. Watching footage from the tea bagger events is enough to make anyone cringe with all the openly racist signs on display for anyone to see. Yes, we have come a long way since the days of Dr. Martin Luther King who we will celebrate this coming Monday, but we can not wear blinders and ignore the distance we have yet to go.
Sen. Reid's comments were inappropriate and he should have known better than voice them. Some things whether true or not should not be voiced. However, I do not think he is a racist. IF you want an example of someone who is a racist, look no further than the likes of Rush Limbaugh who made ignorant remarks just today discouraging people from donating to Haiti relief efforts.
The part of Reid's comments that I find offensive is about the "negro dialect." That comment almost suggests that most people of color speak Ebonics and not the king's English. I beg to differ and am just one example of that remark being inaccurate.
So instead of throwing tomatoes at Sen. Reid, make this an opportunity to evaluate your feelings on the matter honestly. Ask yourself whether or not Obama would have as easily received your vote had he been dark complexioned and not have been the great orator that Obama is. I pose this question to people of color as well because we can be notorious self-haters which I do not begin to have time to address in this blog.
If you can honestly say that he probably would not have gotten your vote, then you need to evaluate your issues with race and deal with it. It's an opportunity to recognize a character flaw and fix it.
J
I have no issue, for the most part, with what Sen. Reid said. Shocking, I know. (LOL) The sad truth is that his remarks about Obama being more acceptable to the white majority because he has fair skin and no "negro dialect" is accurate. You may not want to outwardly agree with me, but deep inside you know it's true. I hate to say it and of course I would love for that not to be true, but we know we have not yet come that far in this country. Just look at all the detractors to this day that say Obama isn't an American citizen or that he is a Muslim. Watching footage from the tea bagger events is enough to make anyone cringe with all the openly racist signs on display for anyone to see. Yes, we have come a long way since the days of Dr. Martin Luther King who we will celebrate this coming Monday, but we can not wear blinders and ignore the distance we have yet to go.
Sen. Reid's comments were inappropriate and he should have known better than voice them. Some things whether true or not should not be voiced. However, I do not think he is a racist. IF you want an example of someone who is a racist, look no further than the likes of Rush Limbaugh who made ignorant remarks just today discouraging people from donating to Haiti relief efforts.
The part of Reid's comments that I find offensive is about the "negro dialect." That comment almost suggests that most people of color speak Ebonics and not the king's English. I beg to differ and am just one example of that remark being inaccurate.
So instead of throwing tomatoes at Sen. Reid, make this an opportunity to evaluate your feelings on the matter honestly. Ask yourself whether or not Obama would have as easily received your vote had he been dark complexioned and not have been the great orator that Obama is. I pose this question to people of color as well because we can be notorious self-haters which I do not begin to have time to address in this blog.
If you can honestly say that he probably would not have gotten your vote, then you need to evaluate your issues with race and deal with it. It's an opportunity to recognize a character flaw and fix it.
J
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Time Usage
Do you ever evaluate how you spend your time? I'm talking about an honest discussion with yourself. Recently I had some problems with my Internet connection at home. It took nearly two weeks for my Internet provider to correct the issue. I didn't really think about it at the time but now in hindsight I realize how much I accomplished at home without that distraction.
I was in a rush to get to work today (pretty much the norm for me) and I forgot my cell phone. Like many of us today I have Internet access on my phone, plus a lot of games and etc. I found that I was more productive today without all the time spent checking my phone for incoming texts, email, and Facebook. (LOL) Have you ever done that before? I found it to be a life lesson. I also tend to spend countless wasted hours watching television.
I have to ask myself, what could I be doing with all that wasted time? First and foremost I could be spending time in prayer and meditation, further developing my relationship with the Lord. I could also be advancing the business I started last year which has been in limbo for the most part. I could also spend more quality time with family and friends, especially those that really could use some of my attention. You get the picture, the list of more important past times could be endless.
I am seriously considering simplifying my life. Now I can't promise that I will get rid of my cell phone, of course not. BUT, do I really need Internet access on my phone, or even at home? I have Internet access at both of my jobs. Do I really need to be watching two plus hours a night watching mindless television? I could certainly go without cable. It would be tough because my favorite channels are HGTV, Food Network and the Tennis Channel. I could do it.
Perhaps there are areas in your life that you can simplify as well. Let's think about that together. Please share your thoughts.
J
I was in a rush to get to work today (pretty much the norm for me) and I forgot my cell phone. Like many of us today I have Internet access on my phone, plus a lot of games and etc. I found that I was more productive today without all the time spent checking my phone for incoming texts, email, and Facebook. (LOL) Have you ever done that before? I found it to be a life lesson. I also tend to spend countless wasted hours watching television.
I have to ask myself, what could I be doing with all that wasted time? First and foremost I could be spending time in prayer and meditation, further developing my relationship with the Lord. I could also be advancing the business I started last year which has been in limbo for the most part. I could also spend more quality time with family and friends, especially those that really could use some of my attention. You get the picture, the list of more important past times could be endless.
I am seriously considering simplifying my life. Now I can't promise that I will get rid of my cell phone, of course not. BUT, do I really need Internet access on my phone, or even at home? I have Internet access at both of my jobs. Do I really need to be watching two plus hours a night watching mindless television? I could certainly go without cable. It would be tough because my favorite channels are HGTV, Food Network and the Tennis Channel. I could do it.
Perhaps there are areas in your life that you can simplify as well. Let's think about that together. Please share your thoughts.
J
Monday, January 11, 2010
Something to Think About
Check this out.
J
Schultz PhilosophyThe following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions.. Just read the e-mail straight through, and you'll get the point.
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of Miss America .
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
How did you do?The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3.. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with .
Easier?The lesson:The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care ..
J
Schultz PhilosophyThe following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions.. Just read the e-mail straight through, and you'll get the point.
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of Miss America .
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
How did you do?The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3.. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with .
Easier?The lesson:The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care ..
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Black Women & Marriage
I recently happened to catch a feature story on ABC's Nightline about successful black women and their struggle to find a man to marry. I was rather taken aback by the whole thing because it made career minded sisters who happen to not be married look somewhat unfulfilled and desperate. Although I am married, I still did not appreciate the implication or tone of the story. Why single out successful black women? The statistics listed made black women and the future of the black family seem dire at best, as if our race will go extinct because enough of us can not find suitable mates. Then of course comes the flood of stereotypes about there not being enough black men to choose from because the majority are either gay, in prison, a criminal, or beneath us. I was highly insulted as you can tell. The segment wrapped up with the suggestion that black women need to lower their standards and settle for less, or be rescued by a man of another race. Hmmmm??? I have nothing against interracial relationships but since when do we not get a choice in our preferences just as women of other races? I could go on and on about this topic. Please continue reading below. I found an article by a female blogger who also took offense to the story, although for different reasons. Also be forewarned that I do NOT agree with everything this woman has to say, but she makes a few interesting points.
J
*Nightline Hosts Pity Party for Successful Black Women
More media fascination with successful black women, because they’re single
Published on January 3, 2010
I know I have to blog about something when I start getting requests from more than one person. So it was with a Nightline story, aired over the holidays, about black women who were successful in many ways - but, sigh, single. Gorgeous, accomplished black women were recruited to tell their stories, and the usual statistics were trotted out. You know the ones, about how there are not enough acceptable (Nightline's word) black men for all of the black women. Oh, and also, more black women than white women are single.
Nightline's pity party included a special guest - a dispenser of free advice about marriage to these wonderful women. Offering his services was a comedian and supposed "relationship guru" Steve Harvey - who, as Living Single reader Lisa slyly pointed out, has been married three times. (Thanks, Lisa!)
Jeanine, another Living Single reader, sent me a link to a blog post from Wise Diva. (Appreciate it, Jeanine!) About the comparison to the marriage rates of white women, Wise Diva asks, "So wait, are black women in some kind of Amazing Bridal Race with white women that I didn't know about?"
She also asks this, "I want to know, what is the fascination with single black women not marrying? What is it supposed to mean? Am I supposed to feel hopeful, panicky, ambivalent?"
Wise Diva is so right about the fascination. It has been going on for years. I noticed it when I was writing Singled Out, and included a section on the topic. Here's my take on the matter. Take a look, then share your thoughts in the Comments section, if you'd like.
From pp. 139-141 of Singled Out:
The lead-in to the feature story is promising. "Black women," Newsweek claimed, "are making historic strides on campuses and in the workplace." The story ticked off the accomplishments - more black women in college than ever before, more getting promoted in the workplace, names showing up on lists of officers of Fortune 500 companies. A photograph spread across two pages illustrated another success story: There were seven black women in the lab of just one veterinary school. "Today a black woman can be anything from an astronaut to a talk show host, run anything from a corporation to an Ivy League university."
How do single black women feel about their lives at this time of such inspiring successes? Author Ellis Cose wanted to know. He talked to a group of single black women who got together every Friday night. There was a big picture of them, too - four women (three of whom had downcast eyes and sullen expressions) and a cat. "The weekly gathering," Cose noted, "could easily be dubbed ‘the black, beautiful, accomplished but can't find a mate club.'" He also talked to a single mom who "warns her daughters that they may end up on their own," and to a professor and advice columnist who worries that she "will die in a room all by myself."
Cose first reiterated that the professional progress of black women was indeed impressive. "Long confined to menial jobs, black women are advancing faster than black men - and many whites - in education, income, and careers." However, Cose continued, the new black woman is looking "not only for recognition but for ‘models of happiness.'"
Will she find her happiness? "Is this new black woman finally crashing through the double ceiling of race and gender? Or is she leaping into treacherous waters that will leave her stranded, unfulfilled, childless, and alone? Can she thrive if her brother does not, if the black man succumbs, as hundreds of thousands already have, to the hopelessness of prison and the streets? Can she - dare she - thrive without the black man, finding happiness across the racial aisle? Or will she, out of compassion, loneliness or racial loyalty ‘settle' for men who - educationally, economically, professionally - are several steps beneath her?"
Cose ended his story with a projection of two possible futures for the new black women. In the bleak vision, "more and more black women will lead lives of success but also isolation." In what he called the more optimistic version, "black women are weathering a period of transition, after which they will find a way to balance happiness and success."
Ellis Cose is a serious, respected, and award-winning author and editor, who has written book-length treatments on topics such as race in America. But in asking whether the new black woman is "leaping into treacherous waters that will leave her stranded, unfulfilled, childless, and alone," his rhetoric is about as hyperbolic as anything to leap out of People magazine. In fact, his moniker, "the black, beautiful, accomplished but can't find a mate club," differs hardly at all from People's "Sure, they're rich and gorgeous. But that doesn't make it any easier to find a love that lasts."
Consider the choices Cose ascribed to the women of such great accomplishment. What are their alternatives to ending up stranded and unfulfilled? There is the guilt option: Maybe they can thrive, but meanwhile untold numbers of their black brothers are on the streets or in prison. There is also the rescue possibility: Out of compassion, they can lower themselves to marry those poor brothers. Then there is the set-up. We are led to believe that a free spirited alternative is about to be unveiled - "Can she - dare she - thrive without the black man..." - only to be let down. The thought is completed not with the possibility that successful black women can lead rich and full and happy lives without marrying, but instead with the option of "finding happiness across the racial aisle."
Think, too, about Cose's two visions. In one, black women end up successful but isolated. In the other, they end up balancing happiness and success. There is only one story here, and it is a familiar morality tale. Women's success in the workplace cannot bring happiness but needs to be "balanced" by happiness. Success is isolating. Happiness comes only from finding The One, and then creating a family. Without marriage or family, the black woman (indeed, any woman) will, as the advice columnist feared, ‘die in a room all by [herself].'
There were other stories that could have been told, but they were hidden in plain view. There was, for example, the story of the four women who got together every Friday night. Cose describes them as lamenting the relationship they do not have. He does not seem to notice the relationships they do have. He does not seem to appreciate that even if these women do wed, their friendships with each other are more likely to endure than are their marriages. These women are not isolated and they are not alone. He does not know, nor do they, that hardly anyone is less likely to be lonely in old age than women who have always been single.
It is also telling that even though it is the single black men who are on the streets and in the prisons, and failing to keep up educationally or professionally with the single black women, the hand-wringing in Newsweek is about the women. It is they whom we need to think about and wonder about.
[END OF EXCERPT]
[You can read the rest of the chapter here in Singled Out. The book also includes a Notes section where you can find the sources of the various quotes.]
*This article was found at www.psychologytoday.com/blog/living-single
J
*Nightline Hosts Pity Party for Successful Black Women
More media fascination with successful black women, because they’re single
Published on January 3, 2010
I know I have to blog about something when I start getting requests from more than one person. So it was with a Nightline story, aired over the holidays, about black women who were successful in many ways - but, sigh, single. Gorgeous, accomplished black women were recruited to tell their stories, and the usual statistics were trotted out. You know the ones, about how there are not enough acceptable (Nightline's word) black men for all of the black women. Oh, and also, more black women than white women are single.
Nightline's pity party included a special guest - a dispenser of free advice about marriage to these wonderful women. Offering his services was a comedian and supposed "relationship guru" Steve Harvey - who, as Living Single reader Lisa slyly pointed out, has been married three times. (Thanks, Lisa!)
Jeanine, another Living Single reader, sent me a link to a blog post from Wise Diva. (Appreciate it, Jeanine!) About the comparison to the marriage rates of white women, Wise Diva asks, "So wait, are black women in some kind of Amazing Bridal Race with white women that I didn't know about?"
She also asks this, "I want to know, what is the fascination with single black women not marrying? What is it supposed to mean? Am I supposed to feel hopeful, panicky, ambivalent?"
Wise Diva is so right about the fascination. It has been going on for years. I noticed it when I was writing Singled Out, and included a section on the topic. Here's my take on the matter. Take a look, then share your thoughts in the Comments section, if you'd like.
From pp. 139-141 of Singled Out:
The lead-in to the feature story is promising. "Black women," Newsweek claimed, "are making historic strides on campuses and in the workplace." The story ticked off the accomplishments - more black women in college than ever before, more getting promoted in the workplace, names showing up on lists of officers of Fortune 500 companies. A photograph spread across two pages illustrated another success story: There were seven black women in the lab of just one veterinary school. "Today a black woman can be anything from an astronaut to a talk show host, run anything from a corporation to an Ivy League university."
How do single black women feel about their lives at this time of such inspiring successes? Author Ellis Cose wanted to know. He talked to a group of single black women who got together every Friday night. There was a big picture of them, too - four women (three of whom had downcast eyes and sullen expressions) and a cat. "The weekly gathering," Cose noted, "could easily be dubbed ‘the black, beautiful, accomplished but can't find a mate club.'" He also talked to a single mom who "warns her daughters that they may end up on their own," and to a professor and advice columnist who worries that she "will die in a room all by myself."
Cose first reiterated that the professional progress of black women was indeed impressive. "Long confined to menial jobs, black women are advancing faster than black men - and many whites - in education, income, and careers." However, Cose continued, the new black woman is looking "not only for recognition but for ‘models of happiness.'"
Will she find her happiness? "Is this new black woman finally crashing through the double ceiling of race and gender? Or is she leaping into treacherous waters that will leave her stranded, unfulfilled, childless, and alone? Can she thrive if her brother does not, if the black man succumbs, as hundreds of thousands already have, to the hopelessness of prison and the streets? Can she - dare she - thrive without the black man, finding happiness across the racial aisle? Or will she, out of compassion, loneliness or racial loyalty ‘settle' for men who - educationally, economically, professionally - are several steps beneath her?"
Cose ended his story with a projection of two possible futures for the new black women. In the bleak vision, "more and more black women will lead lives of success but also isolation." In what he called the more optimistic version, "black women are weathering a period of transition, after which they will find a way to balance happiness and success."
Ellis Cose is a serious, respected, and award-winning author and editor, who has written book-length treatments on topics such as race in America. But in asking whether the new black woman is "leaping into treacherous waters that will leave her stranded, unfulfilled, childless, and alone," his rhetoric is about as hyperbolic as anything to leap out of People magazine. In fact, his moniker, "the black, beautiful, accomplished but can't find a mate club," differs hardly at all from People's "Sure, they're rich and gorgeous. But that doesn't make it any easier to find a love that lasts."
Consider the choices Cose ascribed to the women of such great accomplishment. What are their alternatives to ending up stranded and unfulfilled? There is the guilt option: Maybe they can thrive, but meanwhile untold numbers of their black brothers are on the streets or in prison. There is also the rescue possibility: Out of compassion, they can lower themselves to marry those poor brothers. Then there is the set-up. We are led to believe that a free spirited alternative is about to be unveiled - "Can she - dare she - thrive without the black man..." - only to be let down. The thought is completed not with the possibility that successful black women can lead rich and full and happy lives without marrying, but instead with the option of "finding happiness across the racial aisle."
Think, too, about Cose's two visions. In one, black women end up successful but isolated. In the other, they end up balancing happiness and success. There is only one story here, and it is a familiar morality tale. Women's success in the workplace cannot bring happiness but needs to be "balanced" by happiness. Success is isolating. Happiness comes only from finding The One, and then creating a family. Without marriage or family, the black woman (indeed, any woman) will, as the advice columnist feared, ‘die in a room all by [herself].'
There were other stories that could have been told, but they were hidden in plain view. There was, for example, the story of the four women who got together every Friday night. Cose describes them as lamenting the relationship they do not have. He does not seem to notice the relationships they do have. He does not seem to appreciate that even if these women do wed, their friendships with each other are more likely to endure than are their marriages. These women are not isolated and they are not alone. He does not know, nor do they, that hardly anyone is less likely to be lonely in old age than women who have always been single.
It is also telling that even though it is the single black men who are on the streets and in the prisons, and failing to keep up educationally or professionally with the single black women, the hand-wringing in Newsweek is about the women. It is they whom we need to think about and wonder about.
[END OF EXCERPT]
[You can read the rest of the chapter here in Singled Out. The book also includes a Notes section where you can find the sources of the various quotes.]
*This article was found at www.psychologytoday.com/blog/living-single
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Weather Alert
Be careful everyone and be prepared. A winter storm warning is in affect until Friday morning. We are expecting up to eight inches of snow in some areas. Please check on your loved ones.
J
...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AMCST FRIDAY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LINCOLN HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORMWARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 9PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM CST FRIDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NOLONGER IN EFFECT. * TIMING...SNOW WILL DEVELOP WEST OF THE ILLINOIS RIVER EARLY THIS EVENING...THEN WILL SPREAD INTO EAST-CENTRAL ILLINOIS BY MIDNIGHT. MODERATE TO OCCASIONALLY HEAVY SNOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT THROUGH MIDDAY THURSDAY...BEFORE TAPERING OFF TO LIGHT SNOW BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. * ACCUMULATIONS...SNOWFALL OF 6 TO 7 INCHES WILL BE COMMON...WITH ISOLATED 8 INCH AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. * WIND...NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 15 TO 25 MPH BY THURSDAY EVENING...WITH GUSTS ABOVE 30 MPH. * IMPACTS...TRAVEL WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED TONIGHT AND THURSDAY...PARTICULARLY DURING THE EARLY MORNING COMMUTE. MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO DRIVE WITH CAUTION AND PLAN ON EXTRA TIME TO ARRIVE AT THEIR DESTINATION. AS WINDS INCREASE...SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL OCCUR THURSDAY NIGHT. TRAVEL WILL CONTINUE TO BE DIFFICULT...AS ROADS REMAIN SNOW-COVERED AND HAZARDOUS.
J
...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AMCST FRIDAY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LINCOLN HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORMWARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 9PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM CST FRIDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NOLONGER IN EFFECT. * TIMING...SNOW WILL DEVELOP WEST OF THE ILLINOIS RIVER EARLY THIS EVENING...THEN WILL SPREAD INTO EAST-CENTRAL ILLINOIS BY MIDNIGHT. MODERATE TO OCCASIONALLY HEAVY SNOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT THROUGH MIDDAY THURSDAY...BEFORE TAPERING OFF TO LIGHT SNOW BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. * ACCUMULATIONS...SNOWFALL OF 6 TO 7 INCHES WILL BE COMMON...WITH ISOLATED 8 INCH AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. * WIND...NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 15 TO 25 MPH BY THURSDAY EVENING...WITH GUSTS ABOVE 30 MPH. * IMPACTS...TRAVEL WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED TONIGHT AND THURSDAY...PARTICULARLY DURING THE EARLY MORNING COMMUTE. MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO DRIVE WITH CAUTION AND PLAN ON EXTRA TIME TO ARRIVE AT THEIR DESTINATION. AS WINDS INCREASE...SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL OCCUR THURSDAY NIGHT. TRAVEL WILL CONTINUE TO BE DIFFICULT...AS ROADS REMAIN SNOW-COVERED AND HAZARDOUS.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Food For Thought
I received an email with the following food for thought from WVEL's station manager, Rev. Robert Caruth. I thought it was definitely worth sharing. Thanks Butch!
J
Taking Care of You
Drink plenty of water.Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.Eat more fruits and vegetables and eat less that is manufactured in processing plants.Avoid eating food that is handed to you through a window.Live the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.Play more games.Read more books than you did in 2009.Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.Sleep for 7 hours.Take a 10-30 minute walk daily. And while you walk, smile.
Your Outlook
Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.Don't overdo. Keep your limits.Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.Dream more while you are awake.Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.Forget issues of the past. Don't remind others of their past mistakes.Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.No one is in charge of your happiness except you.Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.Learn a new word every day.Smile and laugh more.You don't have to win every argument.
Your Relationships
Call your family often.Each day give something good to others.Forgive everyone for everything.Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.Try to make at least three people smile each day.What other people think of you is none of your business.Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
Your Life
The worst promise you can break is one made to yourself.Do the right thing!Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. The best is yet to come.When you awake alive in the morning, thank God for it.Your Innermost Self is always happy. Follow it.No matter how you feel, get up, dress up
J
Taking Care of You
Drink plenty of water.Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.Eat more fruits and vegetables and eat less that is manufactured in processing plants.Avoid eating food that is handed to you through a window.Live the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.Play more games.Read more books than you did in 2009.Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.Sleep for 7 hours.Take a 10-30 minute walk daily. And while you walk, smile.
Your Outlook
Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.Don't overdo. Keep your limits.Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.Dream more while you are awake.Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.Forget issues of the past. Don't remind others of their past mistakes.Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.No one is in charge of your happiness except you.Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.Learn a new word every day.Smile and laugh more.You don't have to win every argument.
Your Relationships
Call your family often.Each day give something good to others.Forgive everyone for everything.Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.Try to make at least three people smile each day.What other people think of you is none of your business.Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
Your Life
The worst promise you can break is one made to yourself.Do the right thing!Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. The best is yet to come.When you awake alive in the morning, thank God for it.Your Innermost Self is always happy. Follow it.No matter how you feel, get up, dress up
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Cold Weather Safety Tips
We are in the middle of a deep freeze right now and I thought I would do a little research on how to keep healthy and safe in such frigid temperatures. Please read below and keep yourself safe! Remember to check on others, especially the elderly, to ensure that they are adequately warm. All the following information was found at www.cdc.gov/disaster/winter.
J
When winter temperatures drop significantly below normal, staying warm and safe can become a challenge. Extremely cold temperatures often accompany a winter storm, so you may have to cope with power failures and icy roads. Although staying indoors as much as possible can help reduce the risk of car crashes and falls on the ice, you may also face indoor hazards. Many homes will be too cold—either due to a power failure or because the heating system isn't adequate for the weather. When people must use space heaters and fireplaces to stay warm, the risk of household fires increases, as well as the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Exposure to cold temperatures, whether indoors or outside, can cause other serious or life-threatening health problems. Infants and the elderly are particularly at risk, but anyone can be affected. To keep yourself and your family safe, you should know how to prevent cold-related health problems and what to do if a cold-weather health emergency arises.
The emergency procedures outlined here are not a substitute for training in first aid. However, these procedures will help you to know when to seek medical care and what to do until help becomes available.
What Is Extreme Cold?
What constitutes extreme cold and its effects can vary across different areas of the country. In regions relatively unaccustomed to winter weather, near freezing temperatures are considered “extreme cold.” Whenever temperatures drop decidedly below normal and as wind speed increases, heat can leave your body more rapidly. These weatherrelated conditions may lead to serious health problems. Extreme cold is a dangerous situation that can bring on health emergencies in susceptible people, such as those without shelter or who are stranded, or who live in a home that is poorly insulated or without heat.
Prepare for extremely cold weather every winter—it’s always a possibility. There are steps you can take in advance for greater wintertime safety in your home.
Prepare Your Home for Winter
Although periods of extreme cold cannot always be predicted far in advance, weather forecasts can sometimes provide you with several days’ notice. Listen to weather forecasts regularly, and check your emergency supplies whenever a period of extreme cold is predicted.
If you plan to use a fireplace or wood stove for emergency heating, have your chimney or flue inspected each year. Ask your local fire department to recommend an inspector, or find one in the yellow pages of your telephone directory under “chimney cleaning.”
Also, if you’ll be using a fireplace, wood stove, or kerosene heater, install a smoke detector and a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector near the area to be heated. Test them monthly, and replace batteries twice a year.
Your ability to feel a change in temperature decreases with age, and older people are more susceptible to health problems caused by cold. If you are over 65 years old, place an easy-to-read thermometer in an indoor location where you will see it frequently, and check the temperature of your home often during the winter months.
Insulate any water lines that run along exterior walls so your water supply will be less likely to freeze. To the extent possible, weatherproof your home by adding weather-stripping, insulation, insulated doors and storm windows, or thermal-pane windows.
If you have pets, bring them indoors. If you cannot bring them inside, provide adequate shelter to keep them warm and make sure that they have access to unfrozen water.
Checklist
Insulate walls and attic.
Caulk and weather-strip doors and windows.
Install storm windows or cover windows with plastic from the inside.
Insulate any water lines that run along outer walls (water will be less likely to freeze).
Service snow-removal equipment.
Have chimney and flue inspected.
Install easy-to-read outdoor thermometer.
Prepare Your Car for Winter
You can avoid many dangerous winter travel problems by planning ahead. Have maintenance service on your vehicle as often as the manufacturer recommends. In addition, every fall:
Have the radiator system serviced, or check the antifreeze level yourself with an antifreeze tester. Add antifreeze, as needed.
Replace windshield-wiper fluid with a wintertime mixture.
Replace any worn tires, and check the air pressure in the tires.
During winter, keep the gas tank near full to help avoid ice in the tank and fuel lines.
Checklist
Keep your car fueled and in good working order. Be sure to check the following:
Antifreeze
Windshield wiper fluid (wintertime mixture)
Heater
Brakes
Ignition
Emergency flashers
Exhaust
Tires (air pressure and wear)
Fuel
Oil
Brake fluid
Defroster
Battery
Radiator
Winter Weather Checklists
Stock up on emergency supplies for communication, food, safety, heating, and car in case a storm hits.
Communication Checklist
Make sure you have at least one of the following in case there is a power failure:
Battery-powered radio (for listening to local emergency instructions). Have extra batteries.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio receiver (for listening to National Weather Service broadcasts). See www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr for more information.
Find out how your community warns the public about severe weather:
Siren
Radio
TV
Listen to emergency broadcasts.
Know what winter storm warning terms mean:
Winter weather advisory: expect winter weather conditions to cause inconvenience and hazards.
Frost/freeze warning: expect below-freezing temperatures.
Winter storm watch: be alert; a storm is likely.
Winter storm warning: take action; the storm is in or entering the area.
Blizzard warning: seek refuge immediately! Snow and strong winds, near-zero visibility, deep snow drifts, and life-threatening wind chill.
Food and Safety Checklist
Have a week’s worth of food and safety supplies. If you live far from other people, have more supplies on hand.
Drinking water
Canned/no-cook food (bread, crackers, dried fruits)
Non-electric can opener
Baby food and formula (if baby in the household)
Prescription drugs and other medicine
First-aid kit
Rock-salt to melt ice on walkways
Supply of cat litter or bag of sand to add traction on walkways
Flashlight and extra batteries
Battery-powered lamps or lanterns(To prevent the risk of fire, avoid using candles.)
Water Checklist
Keep a water supply. Extreme cold can cause water pipes in your home to freeze and sometimes break.
Leave all water taps slightly open so they drip continuously.
Keep the indoor temperature warm.
Allow more heated air near pipes. Open kitchen cabinet doors under the kitchen sink.
If your pipes do freeze, do not thaw them with a torch. Thaw the pipes slowly with warm air from an electric hair dryer.
If you cannot thaw your pipes, or if the pipes have broken open, use bottled water or get water from a neighbor’s home.
Have bottled water on hand.
In an emergency—if no other water is available—snow can be melted for water. Bringing water to a rolling boil for one minute will kill most germs but won’t get rid of chemicals sometimes found in snow.
Heating Checklist
Have at least one of the following heat sources in case the power goes out:
Fireplace with plenty of dry firewood or gas log fireplace
Portable space heaters or kerosene heaters
Check with your local fire department to make sure that kerosene heaters are legal in your area.
Never place a space heater on top of furniture or near water.
Use electric space heaters with
automatic shut-off switches and
nonglowing elements.
Keep heat sources at least 3 feet away from furniture and drapes.
Never leave children unattended near a space heater.
Have the following safety equipment:
Chemical fire extinguisher
Smoke alarm in working order (Check once a month and change batteries once a year.)
Carbon monoxide detector
Never use an electric generator indoors, inside the garage, or near the air intake of your home because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning:
Do not use the generator or appliances if they are wet.
Do not store gasoline indoors where the fumes could ignite.
Use individual heavy-duty, outdoor-rated cords to plug in other appliances.
Cooking and Lighting Checklist
Never use charcoal grills or portable gas camp stove indoors—the fumes are deadly.
Use battery-powered flashlights or lanterns.
Avoid using candles.
Never leave lit candles alone.
J
When winter temperatures drop significantly below normal, staying warm and safe can become a challenge. Extremely cold temperatures often accompany a winter storm, so you may have to cope with power failures and icy roads. Although staying indoors as much as possible can help reduce the risk of car crashes and falls on the ice, you may also face indoor hazards. Many homes will be too cold—either due to a power failure or because the heating system isn't adequate for the weather. When people must use space heaters and fireplaces to stay warm, the risk of household fires increases, as well as the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Exposure to cold temperatures, whether indoors or outside, can cause other serious or life-threatening health problems. Infants and the elderly are particularly at risk, but anyone can be affected. To keep yourself and your family safe, you should know how to prevent cold-related health problems and what to do if a cold-weather health emergency arises.
The emergency procedures outlined here are not a substitute for training in first aid. However, these procedures will help you to know when to seek medical care and what to do until help becomes available.
What Is Extreme Cold?
What constitutes extreme cold and its effects can vary across different areas of the country. In regions relatively unaccustomed to winter weather, near freezing temperatures are considered “extreme cold.” Whenever temperatures drop decidedly below normal and as wind speed increases, heat can leave your body more rapidly. These weatherrelated conditions may lead to serious health problems. Extreme cold is a dangerous situation that can bring on health emergencies in susceptible people, such as those without shelter or who are stranded, or who live in a home that is poorly insulated or without heat.
Prepare for extremely cold weather every winter—it’s always a possibility. There are steps you can take in advance for greater wintertime safety in your home.
Prepare Your Home for Winter
Although periods of extreme cold cannot always be predicted far in advance, weather forecasts can sometimes provide you with several days’ notice. Listen to weather forecasts regularly, and check your emergency supplies whenever a period of extreme cold is predicted.
If you plan to use a fireplace or wood stove for emergency heating, have your chimney or flue inspected each year. Ask your local fire department to recommend an inspector, or find one in the yellow pages of your telephone directory under “chimney cleaning.”
Also, if you’ll be using a fireplace, wood stove, or kerosene heater, install a smoke detector and a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector near the area to be heated. Test them monthly, and replace batteries twice a year.
Your ability to feel a change in temperature decreases with age, and older people are more susceptible to health problems caused by cold. If you are over 65 years old, place an easy-to-read thermometer in an indoor location where you will see it frequently, and check the temperature of your home often during the winter months.
Insulate any water lines that run along exterior walls so your water supply will be less likely to freeze. To the extent possible, weatherproof your home by adding weather-stripping, insulation, insulated doors and storm windows, or thermal-pane windows.
If you have pets, bring them indoors. If you cannot bring them inside, provide adequate shelter to keep them warm and make sure that they have access to unfrozen water.
Checklist
Insulate walls and attic.
Caulk and weather-strip doors and windows.
Install storm windows or cover windows with plastic from the inside.
Insulate any water lines that run along outer walls (water will be less likely to freeze).
Service snow-removal equipment.
Have chimney and flue inspected.
Install easy-to-read outdoor thermometer.
Prepare Your Car for Winter
You can avoid many dangerous winter travel problems by planning ahead. Have maintenance service on your vehicle as often as the manufacturer recommends. In addition, every fall:
Have the radiator system serviced, or check the antifreeze level yourself with an antifreeze tester. Add antifreeze, as needed.
Replace windshield-wiper fluid with a wintertime mixture.
Replace any worn tires, and check the air pressure in the tires.
During winter, keep the gas tank near full to help avoid ice in the tank and fuel lines.
Checklist
Keep your car fueled and in good working order. Be sure to check the following:
Antifreeze
Windshield wiper fluid (wintertime mixture)
Heater
Brakes
Ignition
Emergency flashers
Exhaust
Tires (air pressure and wear)
Fuel
Oil
Brake fluid
Defroster
Battery
Radiator
Winter Weather Checklists
Stock up on emergency supplies for communication, food, safety, heating, and car in case a storm hits.
Communication Checklist
Make sure you have at least one of the following in case there is a power failure:
Battery-powered radio (for listening to local emergency instructions). Have extra batteries.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio receiver (for listening to National Weather Service broadcasts). See www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr for more information.
Find out how your community warns the public about severe weather:
Siren
Radio
TV
Listen to emergency broadcasts.
Know what winter storm warning terms mean:
Winter weather advisory: expect winter weather conditions to cause inconvenience and hazards.
Frost/freeze warning: expect below-freezing temperatures.
Winter storm watch: be alert; a storm is likely.
Winter storm warning: take action; the storm is in or entering the area.
Blizzard warning: seek refuge immediately! Snow and strong winds, near-zero visibility, deep snow drifts, and life-threatening wind chill.
Food and Safety Checklist
Have a week’s worth of food and safety supplies. If you live far from other people, have more supplies on hand.
Drinking water
Canned/no-cook food (bread, crackers, dried fruits)
Non-electric can opener
Baby food and formula (if baby in the household)
Prescription drugs and other medicine
First-aid kit
Rock-salt to melt ice on walkways
Supply of cat litter or bag of sand to add traction on walkways
Flashlight and extra batteries
Battery-powered lamps or lanterns(To prevent the risk of fire, avoid using candles.)
Water Checklist
Keep a water supply. Extreme cold can cause water pipes in your home to freeze and sometimes break.
Leave all water taps slightly open so they drip continuously.
Keep the indoor temperature warm.
Allow more heated air near pipes. Open kitchen cabinet doors under the kitchen sink.
If your pipes do freeze, do not thaw them with a torch. Thaw the pipes slowly with warm air from an electric hair dryer.
If you cannot thaw your pipes, or if the pipes have broken open, use bottled water or get water from a neighbor’s home.
Have bottled water on hand.
In an emergency—if no other water is available—snow can be melted for water. Bringing water to a rolling boil for one minute will kill most germs but won’t get rid of chemicals sometimes found in snow.
Heating Checklist
Have at least one of the following heat sources in case the power goes out:
Fireplace with plenty of dry firewood or gas log fireplace
Portable space heaters or kerosene heaters
Check with your local fire department to make sure that kerosene heaters are legal in your area.
Never place a space heater on top of furniture or near water.
Use electric space heaters with
automatic shut-off switches and
nonglowing elements.
Keep heat sources at least 3 feet away from furniture and drapes.
Never leave children unattended near a space heater.
Have the following safety equipment:
Chemical fire extinguisher
Smoke alarm in working order (Check once a month and change batteries once a year.)
Carbon monoxide detector
Never use an electric generator indoors, inside the garage, or near the air intake of your home because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning:
Do not use the generator or appliances if they are wet.
Do not store gasoline indoors where the fumes could ignite.
Use individual heavy-duty, outdoor-rated cords to plug in other appliances.
Cooking and Lighting Checklist
Never use charcoal grills or portable gas camp stove indoors—the fumes are deadly.
Use battery-powered flashlights or lanterns.
Avoid using candles.
Never leave lit candles alone.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Happy New Year
I hope all of you have a blessed and prosperous new year. Here's to a year of fulfilled dreams.
J
J