Looking for a tax write-off?

Just thought I would take the time to remind all of you that if you are looking for another tax write-off as the year comes to a close, consider charitable giving. Here are a few of my favorite foundations and organizations trying to make a difference (some of these may not be tax-deductible):

Project Red - Working with the Global Fund to provide medication, services and education about HIV and AIDS to men, women and children throughout Africa. In partnership with a number of retailers and manufacturers, varying % of profits from purchases of Project Red merchandise go to Global Fund programs. Partners include Motorola, the GAP, Converse, Emporio Armani, Amex and Hallmark.

Keep a Child Alive - dedicated to providing African children affected by HIV with much needed services and medication. 100% of donations go to directly to their programs.

Make it Right - to help families in the Lower 9th ward in New Orleans still struggling after Katrina.

ReNew Orleans - Purchase merchandise and 25% of the sale price is donated to 3 foundations dedicated to revitalizing New Orleans in an authentic way, Common Ground Initiative, Tipitina's Foundation and Replant New Orleans. Also hear music from New Orleans musicians.

The Humane Society - Donate to help save neglected and abandoned animals across the country.

Heifer International - Donations go to helping disadvantaged families around with world by providing livestock and training to make them more self-reliant.

Kiva - Microlending in a digital age. Make a small loan to a struggling entrepreneur in a developing country and give them to leg up they need on the road to economic empowerment.

Timing...

It is becoming more and more evident to me that what is important in relationships, maybe just as important as the person you choose (or who chooses you) is timing. I think this is probably under-emphasized when we talk about relationships. If I look back on the people I have dated and met over the years, some have been the wrong people at the right time and some have been the right people at the wrong time.....

And this is probably why it doesn't get talked about much. Because, lets face it, finding the right person at the wrong time is just painful and there is nothing that you can do about it. You can't go back or forward in time and have the person you are now meet the person they were/will be then.

And that is what is so frustrating about it all. The lack of control that you have. I guess all you can really do is work on being the best person that you can be and make sure that you are ready to receive when they do come along....

Pooped!

Between the holiday baking, the cooking for Christmas and other cooking that I did while my parents were here, I am pooped! I think I will take a cooking hiatus for a couple weeks.....

So did they really beat Harvard?

So I have heard varying things about whether or not the Wiley College debate team of 1935 actually did debate and beat Harvard University. After looking around it seems that the team did debate the national debate champions in that year but that year the champions were actually the University of Southern California. I guess debating Harvard Crimson makes for a better story....

But, according to the New York Times article, " For Struggling Black College, Hopes of a Revival" (December 5, 2007,) "the film omits one reality: even though they beat the reigning champions, the Great Debaters were not allowed to call themselves victors because they did not belong to the debate society, which did not allow blacks until after World War II."

It also seems that some license was taken in the composition and members of the debate team in the movie. Save James Farmer Jr, who went on to form CORE, the Council for Racial Equality, a integral organization in the civil rights movement, the other characters, Henry Lowe and Samantha Booke, seem to be amalgamations of other team members who competed during the early to mid 1930s.

For more information about the true history of the Wiley Forensic Society, read this linked article in the Marshall News Messenger.

There is no debate....

So if you had read a prior post , you know that my parents and I were planning to go see The Great Debaters on Christmas Day. We decided to go see the first showing and that I would finish cooking dinner afterwards.

Let me tell you, this movie does not disappoint. It was a great story about a group of history making college students who, inspired by a seemingly, slightly eccentric professor, proved that a group of black students from a small liberal arts college in depression-ridden backwater Marshall, Texas could develop the oratory skills to win debate after debate, and also eventually, beat a championship-winning white team.

The movie is just good film-making. Although, a few constructs seem a little too convenient and seem likely to have been the results of a little poetic license, it is a great, inspiring, and emotional story based on true events. I tried to finish my "ugly cry", as Oprah puts it, before the lights went up in the theater. I was somewhat successful....

Before hearing about this movie, I had never heard of Melvin Tolson or Wiley College or their debate team. And after seeing this movie, I can't help but be struck by how many other courageous stories may be out there in our history that we have no idea about whatsoever! I mean, this guy went on to Langston University and taught my mother English, and besides being the Poet Laureate of Liberia, she had no idea about his time at Wiley. It makes me wonder about how many other inspiring and unknown stories are out there.

Bottom line: Go see this movie before the weekend is out!

Merry Christmas!!

It was quarter past dawn...
All the Whos, still a-bed
All the Whos, still a-snooze
When he packed up his sled,
Packed it up with their presents! The ribbons! The wrappings!
The tags! And the tinsel! The trimmings! The trappings! 

Three thousand feet up! Up the side of Mount Crumpit,
He rode to the tiptop to dump it!
"Pooh-pooh to the Whos!" he was grinch-ish-ly humming.
"They're finding out now that no Christmas is coming!
"They're just waking up! I know just what they'll do!
"Their mouths will hang open a minute or two
"The all the Whos down in Who-ville will all cry BOO-HOO!" 

"That's a noise," grinned the Grinch,
"That I simply must hear!"
So he paused. And the Grinch put a hand to his ear.
And he did hear a sound rising over the snow.
It started in low. Then it started to grow... 

But the sound wasn't sad!
Why, this sound sounded merry!
It couldn't be so!
But it WAS merry! VERY! 

He stared down at Who-ville!
The Grinch popped his eyes!
Then he shook!
What he saw was a shocking surprise! 

Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small,
Was singing! Without any presents at all!
He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming!
IT CAME!
Somehow or other, it came just the same! 

And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so?
It came without ribbons! It came without tags!
"It came without packages, boxes or bags!"
And he puzzled three hours, `till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!
"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.
"Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!" 

And what happened then...?
Well...in Who-ville they say
That the Grinch's small heart
Grew three sizes that day!
And the minute his heart didn't feel quite so tight,
He whizzed with his load through the bright morning light
And he brought back the toys! And the food for the feast!
And he... 

...HE HIMSELF...!
The Grinch carved the roast beast!

Excerpt from "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" by Dr. Seuss from the Absolute Grinch website


Merry Christmas everyone!!!

It's time for a little holiday baking!

As you have probably been able to tell by now, I get a little self-involved in my cooking. And, true to form, every December I jump into my yearly holiday baking tradition. It started mostly as a way to provide gifts for friends and co-workers and, of course, it has evolved into me spending days cooking a myriad of things to include in little gift baskets. Because, of course, I can't just cook a bunch on one thing for everybody, I have to provide variety.

This year has been true to form. This year I decided to make about 12 things to give to about 25 people. One or two recipes were new ones, and there were a number of old favorites. Here was the list of goodies:

Holly Wreath Treats

Holiday Biscotti with Pistachios and Cranberries

Chocolate Hazelnut Ginger Biscotti

Triple Chocolate Peppermint Cake

Lemon Poppy Seed Poundcake

Cinnamon Popcorn (the one thing I didn't make)

Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Triple Chocolate Cookies

Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies

Rum Balls

Pecan Sandies

Spiced Rum Pumpkin cupcakes

Red Velvet cupcakes

What I didn't factor in was how much more difficult it would be to get the treats to people this year. I am used to just bringing a bunch of stuff to work and walking around to people's desks. Obviously, this year was more difficult. I missed one couple because I couldn't get stuff to them before they left for the holidays but all in all, it worked out. I'll just have to get the folks I missed next year.

A milestone....

I went to the pet store yesterday to buy more food for the dog and I realized that she is now old enough to eat the adult food! She is technically sort of a large breed dog so they tend to grow longer than smaller dogs so she was supposed to get puppy food through 15 months.

Well, she is now 16 months old so I bought her adult food and am mixing it in with some puppy food to ease the transition.

She still acts like a puppy though, albeit a somewhat calmer one.

Sweating in December....

I just did my Christmas baking grocery shopping..... in 75 degree weather! I suppose that this is not strange for at least about 50% of the world but I am finding this a little strange. Don't get me wrong, the weather is beautiful but with all this wackiness I wonder if I am ever going to get to wear my boots!

I have some very cute boots!

Job search update: Day 85 - the thrill is gone....

So I have been contemplating writing another job search update post for a while but to be quite frank, not that much has happened. I have gone to all the Tuesday morning breakfast sessions, reached out to tons of folks via email or phone, gotten replies from some, met or talked with others but nothing really substantive has come of it yet.

I have been keeping an open mind but it is all starting to get old. The novelty of being out of work is wearing off after 3 months and I am getting a little bored and frustrated. I even decided to do a little seasonal retail work to pass the time since things are slowing down on the job market and put in my application at a store where a friend of mine works. Turns out the store manager has been out for the past two weeks so she hasn't been looking at applications and the season is passing by.... I am starting to feel a bit of the whole Groundhog day syndrome. Every day the same thing.

I did take a few days off from the job search thing and bought Christmas decorations. I also did some cooking and my refrigerator is filled and I am getting sick of washing dishes. Even with taking time away from the job search, a couple balls that I had in the air kept on moving so I have a few folks to contact next week. Eventhough it is slim that I would even get an interview between now and next year, it is still a good idea to get on people's radar ahead of time. I know that a couple of companies I am targeting are planning expansion starting in January so i will need to hit the ground raring to go!

My Christmas tree solution

So, this year, for the first time in a long time, I am going to be celebrating Christmas in my house. We normally all travel up to my aunt's place and stay there but this year she and her husband are going to see his son so my parents are going to come to my place to celebrate which means I don't have to put out any money for travel which is great. But it did leave me with a little dilemma.

I don't really have many Christmas decorations because, well, I am normally not home and I also don't have a Christmas tree. Artificial trees are expensive and more than I want to spend for one year and, to be honest, in my entire life, I have never had a real tree! (I know, I know...)

The first 5-6 years of my life, we had a little 2 1/2 foot silver tinsel tree that we used to set on top of a decorative trunk and arrange presents around. And you know what, it might as well been 10 feet tall as far as I was concerned. When I was about 6 or 7, my mom bought a full sized, life-like artificial tree from Kmart, which I think is the same tree they have in basement now. And it was great. It even had a little fake snow on the branches. And when we were done, we packed it back away and didnt have to worry about needles falling off or when the tree disposal pickup would be.

Although I seemed to inherit a Christmas tree stand when i purchased this house, I really don't feel like dealing with a real tree, plus I am concerned that my dog will try to eat it, so I came up with an alternate solution...

I bought 2 rosemary bush trees and placed them on the mantle. Perfect! And after Christmas is over, I can use the rosemary for cooking! So I went out and bought little mini ornaments and well, I think they are almost as good as the real thing!

Like the stockings?

Self Improvements...

So since I currently have a little extra time on my hands, I am trying to take advantage of it to do some of those things that we have on our lists but have trouble getting around to in an average day. Most notably, right after Thanksgiving, I started a new "eating plan." (We will not call it a diet.) Basically, on an impulse while at the bookstore, I picked up this book called "The Abs Diet for Women." The name intrigued me because it actually seemed to admit that there is a difference between how men and women lose weight. And it had lived up to that assertion. Written by the editor of Men's Health magazine, it actually includes tips about how to manage the plan when you are PMSing, or pregnant or going through menopause etc... Now the suggestions in this book are not rocket science. And it basically takes a sensible and reasonable approach to this challenge, taking a number of the reasonable aspects of a lot of the popular diets of the day and combining them into one plan. Key aspects include eating 6 meals a day and doing strength training to help boost and retrain your metabolism, with an emphasis on making sure to get enough protein in your diet. So I have been trying this, along with exercising like 6 days a week, and let me tell you, eating 6 times a day takes a lot of work and planning! But I have the time now so I am doing it. It is the least I can do.

I am also growing out my nails some. This is always a challenge for me because my nails often snag or break. I also have been known to bite one or two when I get stressed. The easiest way for me to keep this from happening is to always keep polish on them. (Again back to the more time theme.) It seems to be working pretty well though, at least so far!

Let's all go to the movies!

So I originally wanted to write a post when I saw American Gangster but honestly, I couldn't decide what I wanted to say about the movie. First, it had Denzel in it and, HELLO!, how can you not love Denzel! It also included a cast of a number of other distinguished, and some new, black actors like Ruby Dee, Joe Morton, Clarence Williams III, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Common, Cuba Gooding Jr and TI. But I think what gave me pause about this movie was how it blurred the lines of good and bad, how it made you like and respect the bad guy and not particularly like the good guy.

Bad Guy: Frank Lucas - Drug Dealer
Smart determined business man who saw and opportunity to provide a product that was higher quality to an eager customer base and build brand loyalty that would knock out the competition. A black man who was determined to make a way for himself on his own and not be forced to work through or for others simply because they were white. A serious business man who was not flashy and brash, but a loyal man who valued his family and was trying to create a legacy. Only problem is..... he's a drug dealer and he is profiting off the backs, addictions and hardships of others.

Good Guy: Ritchie Roberts - Head of Anti-Drug Task force
An agent with high moral standards in the workplace who cheats on his wife, sleeps with his lawyer, is not there for his son.

This movie made me root for Frank Lucas, even though I knew it would end. And I also respected how this movie was made. I had a friend who watched this movie and just thought that it was alright. I think he was expecting more of a "black Scarface" type of movie. But that is not what this movie is about. It is a biopic about a man who we can admire for how he accomplished things even if we can't admire what he actually accomplished.

Most recently, at the urging of my friend P, who sent out an email to her friend's and family, I went to go see Last Christmas. Now this really is a movie, and there are a few scenes where they really do ask us to suspend disbelief (like when Regina King's character and her husband, park their car curbside at LAX and walk away as she is saying goodbye to him and they are not accosted or arrested by police who tell them that they can't leave their car there) but it really is a great movie, a family movie, a feel good movie. Sure there is some turmoil, fighting and secrets, as there are in any family but what comes across most strongly is that what this black family has the most of is love. Sure this movie can most easily draw comparisons to SoulFood but is it different from its predecessor in many ways. And it just makes you feel good at the end. Another all star cast in this movie: Loretta Devine, Delroy Lindo, Idris Elba, Regina King, Sharon Leal, Columbus Short, Lauren London, Mehki Phifer (who also co-produced it) and Chris Brown (such a cutie! I think I have a new crush...) This is a must see for the holiday season.

And another movie that comes out on Christmas day that is worth note is produced by Oprah and is directed and starred in by Denzel Washington yet again. It is called "The Great Debaters" and tells the all too important, and not often enough talked about story of Melvin Tolson and the debate team that he started at Wiley College, the first HBCU to be established west of the Mississippi River. I saw the show about the movie on Oprah. This debate team was able to rise above the inequality and discrimination of its time and only lost 1 out of the 75 debates in which they competed in a 15 year period, including debates won against Harvard and USC in 1935. The winning team that historic year also included one woman alternate, who is played by Jurnee Smollet of Eve's Bayou fame. Other cast members include Denzel, Forrest Whitaker, and Kimberly Elise. Coincidentally, after Mr. Tolsen left Wiley, he went to teach English at Langston University. My mother sent me an email this week telling me about how he taught her English the whole time she was in school there. So, I guess I know what we will be doing on Christmas Day..... ;-)

But seriously, my point is, there seem to be a number of really substantive black movies out there this season, movies with great actors and great stories. The kind of movies that studios need to know that we want to see more of going forward. So.... let's all go to the movies this holiday season and make sure they know what we like and want!

If you missed NBC Nightly News last week....

You can see all the stories online at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21982216/