The Luscious Librarian

Reading Rainbow in its last season...A TRAGEDY

2009-09-08T16:55:00.000-07:00

After 26 years on the air Reading Rainbow is coming to an end and I literally gasped when I found out. Reading Rainbow was not an ordinary show, it introduced me to the love of stories and their ability to transport me to wherever I'd like to go. As I read over at Jezebel and I have to agree, the show didn't teach how to read but why you should read.

In this age of NCLB we will not see what damage the focus on reading skills and not reading for pleasure will do until it is far too late. Qualities such as creativity and imagination are not easily measured, but they are just as important, if not more important, than calculus and physics when you're designing a new building. Not to mention the fact that when you suck the joy from learning the motivation for learning is sapped as well.

The show's run is ending, Grant explains, because no one — not the station, not PBS, not the Corporation for Public Broadcasting — will put up the several hundred thousand dollars needed to renew the show's broadcast rights.

Grant says the funding crunch is partially to blame, but the decision to end Reading Rainbow can also be traced to a shift in the philosophy of educational television programming. The change started with the Department of Education under the Bush administration, he explains, which wanted to see a much heavier focus on the basic tools of reading — like phonics and spelling.

Grant says that PBS, CPB and the Department of Education put significant funding toward programming that would teach kids how to read — but that's not what Reading Rainbow was trying to do.

"Reading Rainbow taught kids why to read," Grant says. "You know, the love of reading — [the show] encouraged kids to pick up a book and to read." Source

Research has directed programming toward phonics and reading fundamentals as the front line of the literacy fight. Reading Rainbow occupied a more luxurious space — the show operated on the assumption that kids already had basic reading skills and instead focused on fostering a love of books.

I anticipate an increase in drop out rates along with an increase in test scores. Just because someone knows how to do something doesn't not necessarily mean that they will continue to do it.

I really am concerned for kids who don't have engaged and thoughtful parents with the time to focus on their literacy, and that includes a great number of children.

WTF- Principle nixes every book in the library for e-readers

2009-09-06T15:29:00.000-07:00

Cushing Academy has all the hallmarks of a New England prep school, with one exception.

This year, after having amassed a collection of more than 20,000 books, officials at the pristine campus about 90 minutes west of Boston have decided the 144-year-old school no longer needs a traditional library. The academy’s administrators have decided to discard all their books and have given away half of what stocked their sprawling stacks - the classics, novels, poetry, biographies, tomes on every subject from the humanities to the sciences. The future, they believe, is digital.

“When I look at books, I see an outdated technology, like scrolls before books,’’ said James Tracy, headmaster of Cushing and chief promoter of the bookless campus. “This isn’t ‘Fahrenheit 451’ [the 1953 Ray Bradbury novel in which books are banned]. We’re not discouraging students from reading. We see this as a natural way to shape emerging trends and optimize technology.’’

As the folks on engadget say "unless there are only 18 students at Cushing Academy, we're pretty sure the e-reader supply is going to come up short." The book is at the height of information technology, not the bottom, and I will tell you why. The book never needs an upgrade,it is extremely inexpensive making it available to the poorest of the poor and the rich alike, the only energy source required to read it is sunlight, and the only knowledge one needs to attain to decode it's contents is reading.

Now, I'm all for technology, especially when you're referring to information that is updated on a daily basis like reference information found in encyclopedias, but that kind of information is not free and requires a subscription. It's also easily controlled or changed depending on who is reviewing and posting the information, the interest groups the information supports or denounces. Once a book is published it can only disappear if it's burned, all the e-readers need to do is catch a virus or miss an upgrade and it's useless. The entire move seems ridiculous.

Instead of a library, the academy is spending nearly $500,000 to create a “learning center,’’ though that is only one of the names in contention for the new space. In place of the stacks, they are spending $42,000 on three large flat-screen TVs that will project data from the Internet and $20,000 on special laptop-friendly study carrels. Where the reference desk was, they are building a $50,000 coffee shop that will include a $12,000 cappuccino machine.

This is a prep school so I guess the charge of elitism is a cheap shot, but in this case they deserve it, and I use that term with a focus on being out of touch with reality. I honestly doubt kids are going to curl up with Twilight or even Anna Karenina at a coffee shop with their e-reader.

NY Times- Black Hair- Still Tangled in Politics

2009-08-28T07:18:00.000-07:00

SILKY straight hair has long been considered by many black women to be their crowning glory. So what if getting that look meant enduring the itchy burning that’s a hallmark of many chemical straighteners. Or a pricey dependence on “creamy crack,” as relaxers are sometimes jokingly called.

Getting “good hair” often means transforming one’s tightly coiled roots; but it is also more freighted, for many African-American women and some men, than simply a choice about grooming. Straightening hair has been perceived as a way to be more acceptable to certain relatives, as well as to the white establishment. Source

Ok, article, but the comments are really telling and very diverse. Love it.

Things that Make Me White

2009-08-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

Things that Make Me White:
• I’m a vegetarian
• I shop at my local Farmer’s Market
• I buy expensive sandwiches with feta cheese and sundried tomatoes
• I, too, listen to NPR
• I’m in Graduate School
• I’m married
• I’m happily married, without children
• I own my home (financed without a subprime loan)
• I recycle
• I’ve been rock climbing
• I identify as a feminist
• I support Gay Marriage
• I’ve voted Republican in my lifetime
• My father was an integral part of my life, and still is
• I attend church every Sunday……and my Pastor is White
• I don’t know what the appeal is with “Meet the Browns”
• Black people make assumptions about me

Things that make me Black:

• I wake up with Brown skin everyday
• White people make assumptions about me

Inspired by a post on Racialicious, based on an excerpt of Covering:The hidden assault on our civil rights by Kenji Yoshino

Stereotypes are a funny, funny thing and racism is based on the "othering" of the other person. Black people do it and White people do it too, but I think for different reasons. I think Black folk like to put other Black people into a box in order to identify the "trustables". Are you like us? Will you turn on me? I think the question is the same for White people. Are you like us? But, the context is, will you hurt me? I think both are centered around fear, but it's horribly constricting and ultimately, silly.

A person is not a color or race based on how they vote, what they listen to, what they eat or what job they have. In the immortal words of Susan Powder..."Stop the Insanity!"

To Spank or Not to Spank

2009-08-24T13:05:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 13:24
He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.
Proverbs 13:23-25 (in Context) Proverbs 13 (Whole Chapter)

It's a common myth that all Black parents spank. The myth persists among Black folks and those who think they know Black folks. My Mother was a spanker. She was spanked and she spanked me. My sister got a spanking almost everyday and not the occasional pop on the hand. We were spanked with belts. It was a punishment and it was used to instill fear and awe. I'm not going to sugar coat what it was meant to do. It was a tool of discipline and she spanked when she was angry, because when your kids misbehave it often makes you angry. I had welts and I cried and I ran and to some people who are reading this right now they would categorize this as abuse, but....it worked.

I was a very respectful and thoughtful child who obeyed my parents and still hold them in very high esteem. My mother balanced punishment with praise, equally. For as many spankings she doled out she doled out even more hugs and kisses and long soliloquies about how much she loved us and how proud she was of us. She was a queen to me, albeit flawed, but still a queen.

My father, on the other hand, did not spank. No one on his side of the family spanks and I tell you the anecdotal evidence doesn't look good for the "non-spankers". He was not a disciplinarian, but he wasn't the most affectionate either. It seems that the surge of emotionally investment it takes to spank or to hug uncontrollably was never there. I felt like in those days he was playing "father" like someone would play a parent on television: Strict, supposedly self assured, a little distant. I'm not sure if all non-spankers do that. It definitely seems to be so when I see them in grocery stores or outlet malls as they try to calmly tell Billy to stop kicking Mommy in the shins and asking for candy. I tell you that this never happened on any outings with Momma Librarian. I've never called my mother out of her name and I've never had a problem with authority.

There were no time outs in my house. There were restrictions as we got older, but that was only because the groundwork (that fear and awe) had already been laid. I wonder how different I would have turned out if I'd had time outs or restrictions as young as 2 or 3?

As I remember, and you can dispute me, the restrictions never worked very well on younger kids (and my sister was evidence) because if the infraction was serious enough and called for 3,4 or even 5 weeks of the dreaded notvnoradionointernet(I'm throwing in that net piece) then that means the kids is bothering you to find entertainment and with a rambunctious kid, a parent can only take a few days of that before the whole deal is sunk. How much easier and to the heart of the matter is a 5 minute spanking? It definitely drives home the idea of consequences for your actions. Still, I'm torn. I'm not sure I want to do it with my kids.

While I do think that for some things there really is only one alternative. If a kid lights a trash can on fire in his grandmother's garage, I'm sorry, that's an ass whoopin'. Or if a child runs out into the street. The quickest and most effective way to relay the message "Don't do that" is a spanking. But if the same kid gets gum in the seat of your new BMW, I'm not sure if it's appropriate. Really, what are the options? Parenting is such a personal thing, but it become so political and so judgmental.

Spanking's main goal is to suppress rebellion, and it does that, but I wonder if it suppresses creativity and free thought, as well. I'm not sure if I want my children to have that little voice in their heads that says "What are you doing?", "You might get in trouble", "How does this reflect on your parents?" That's such a burden and there may be a time when they need to speak up for themselves or others who they feel are being wronged. Spanking may rob them of that. I know I struggle with it.

If time out is on one end of the spectrum and spanking on the other. What is in the middle?

Real Hair Day....Isn't that Everyday?

2009-08-24T12:41:00.000-07:00

“Tyra said, “This season on The Tyra Show we’re taking it to the next level and getting more real than ever before by encouraging women everywhere to own and rock what they’ve got and be proud! For the Season 5 premiere, I will be doing just that - no fake hair, I’m rocking my REAL hair. This will all be going down on September 8, 2009, which we’re declaring National Real Hair Day! We welcome everyone to go natural with me!”
-Just Jared

So Tyra is declaring September 8th "Natural Hair Day." Hmmmmmm? Now, at first glance this is a good thing. I challenge you to find one picture of an African American "A" list actress, celebrity, or even political figure in a natural hairstyle and that would mean without the aid of chemicals, weaves, extensions or artificial means whatsoever.

Having the opportunity to live in Atlanta I see everyday black women sporting a number of hairstyles, from the red and blue streaked extensions of the girls at the checkout window at Church's chicken to the close cropped naturals of corporate attorneys. But I live in the Southern, Black Mecca. In a lot of ways, women here create trends, they don't follow them. I saw a girl rocking the half-shaved head two years ago, ages before Cassie and LaLa got on the bandwagon. But, again, I'm in a unique situation where minority status isn't so obvious, because of that freedom of expression is not so risky. I would go so far as to say Black Atlantans really don't know their place.

I cannot say the same for those in other cities.

In my hometown, for instance, it would still seem "odd" for a woman to cut her hair short, if it were long, let alone let it revert to it's natural state. I think it has to do with keeping up "appearances". The "I'm just like you" approach. Natural hair is a dead giveaway that you're an "other" and no one would want to seem something other than "normal" and that would be mean "white". And contrary to what some would say I think for most black women (not all) that it is most definitely internalized racism. They want to be pretty like any other woman, but that means not being "black" or "nappy".

Women who most would consider "low maintenance", who don't spend a dime on pedicures, who rarely put on lip gloss, let alone lipstick, and can be found most days in jeans and a t-shirt, will spend hundreds of dollars and hours of their precious time getting their hair chemically straightened or weaved. It can't be vanity, unless that vanity is laser-focused, which I doubt. So, like I said, I'm interested to see what Miss Tyra does with it. Most black women don't even know what their natural hair looks like so it's going to be a hard sell and I hope she doesn't think she can get away with some cornrows with a little synthetic extensions, because I'm gonna call her out.

The Face of Discrimination

2009-08-24T12:37:00.001-07:00

I love these ads I saw over at Kiss My Black Ads. Especially the one featuring the woman in hijab. So Simple.

Birthday Love

2009-08-10T18:51:00.001-07:00

I just had a birthday. Yeah! I love my birthdays. I love getting older. I feel more secure, more in control and confident. I've always avoided definitive statements about myself and what I believed and I did that because I believed in the intrinsic value of the thoughts of others instead of placing the highest value on my own. Even in those few cases that I did place my opinions above those of others I wouldn't dare let them know it lest I seem pompous, rude, stuck-up, bitchy, or some other less than seemly term for women with thoughts these days. So in honor of my birthday I'm going to make some definitive statements.

I believe in miracles

God exists

I believe the Southern Strategy is a racist plot to keep black, brown and poor people enshrined in an oppressive patriarchal system built on greed

I think most Republicans believe in an inescapable scarcity of resources and thrive on belief that God is punishing certain people and wealth is proof that he loves them more than others

Marriage can make you a better person

Sex positive is a feminist construct built on a desire to adopt male misbehavior

I am a feminist

I think some people have children because they think of anything better to do

I believe if you haven't known the feeling or look of your natural hair in your adult life then relaxing your hair is NOT just a style for you

Breaking a sweat clears your mind

Eating flesh will cloud your blood

A child's giggle is as contagious as yawning

Subsidized housing keeps people boxed in, closed off, and segregated and lets them believe that they like it there

And, also...birthdays are awesome

This is not YOUR Romantic Comedy

2009-08-10T18:45:00.001-07:00

I've been put out lately by the inspirationless drivel that Hollywood calls a rom-com these days. "The Ugly Truth"?! Give me a break. I am a Meryl Streep stan and this preview has me salivating. I'm not so high brow that I can't love a commercial love story, but give me something new. Give me a 60 year old woman finding love and being desirable and living a life not ruled by her grandchildren on screen. Can't wait.

Do You

2009-08-10T18:31:00.001-07:00

I love it! Sometimes we, as women, really have to tell the world what "fierce" really is, because they really don't know, as evidenced by the totally fug trend of gladiator sandals. Those things look horrible on everyone.

If Solange was a book I'd check her out!

Um, Like, You Know

2009-08-10T18:29:00.001-07:00

I'm baaaaaaaaack. Returning from a hiatus that was as much a need to hide as it was a serious case of writer's block, but, as they say, "a writer writes", and I dream a more definitive, opinionated and unafraid to be wrong me.

Chris Brown and Rihanna: A lot of talk but saying nothin'

2009-03-06T09:24:00.000-08:00

As more and more information comes out about the Chris Brown/Rihanna case, situation, whatever you want to call it, it seems that media outlets and individuals have begun to take sides. Most of us have been told from a young age that little boys should never hit girls, the reasoning being that boys are bigger and could hurt them, essentially the fight isn’t fair. Well, unbeknownst to me and a lot of people, I’m sure, is that a lot of little boys never get this message. Their mother or an aunt or a grandmother gets smacked around on a regular basis. Their moms and dads go at it like cats and dogs and its normal. In some spaces there is a culture of abuse that is rarely seen. They call it “domestic” violence for a reason. It occurs in the home and is kept close to the chest like other family secrets like incest and alcoholism and for people who are not familiar with this sort of thing it’s easy to blame one party or another, but abuse is nuanced and ugly like a broken bone that doesn’t heal right it’s almost impossible to be raise in it and come out the other end without some damage.

Brown has been recorded as saying that he’s seen his mother be beaten, Rihanna hasn’t been speaking so we don’t know if that’s the case for her. What does that do to a child? Even, when you know it’s wrong, how do you learn to manage anger? Do you ever learn? What about a little girl who grows up in the same situation? Does she know what love really looks like? Does she crave the love “high” that comes after a good beating? What we’re talking about is power dynamics. This goes far deeper than who’s at fault. I am more concerned about the chatter surrounding this situation on radios, televisions, and kitchen tables than the parties involved. God bless them, but this is something they will work out on their own time. No amount of government intervention will slow his fist or make her realize that love doesn’t have to hurt.

A recent study revealed that one in three boys believes it’s ok to hit a girl and one in seven believe it was ok to make a girl have sex with you if she was flirting. These are the views of the young men in our world. How far a cry is it from this to the mass rapings and mutilation that occurs on a daily basis in the DRC? I really don’t think its very far. It stems from a lack of empathy for women and their feelings. I recently listened to an interview of a former soldier in central Africa who had participated in a gang rape of a young girl in his village. He later repented of his sins and became and advocate for women. He said that after he was done he never thought of her. He figured she just went on with her life until he went to apologize to her (something he was advised not to do by his pastor and friends) and she informed him that her life had been ruined from that point on. She had trouble finding a husband, blamed herself for the incident and lived in shame for years while he just went on about his business.

We don’t talk about power dynamics in relationships enough in this country and definitely not enough in the black community. What we talk about is the surface ideas of who works or not, how much money one person makes over another, or interracial dynamics. We never talk about what’s under those discussions why one person or another is seeking to dominate or manipulate. Are the mommy wars really about working mothers or is it just a little about the need for some men to be the sole provider, to feel as if he controls his home and the people in it? If someone makes more money than another can they control their lifestyle, movements, essentially their means of survival? Why do men, women, we as humans want to control and some to the extent of complete domination through beatings and abuse? I think there needs to be a larger spiritual discussion about the lack of love in our friendships and relationships. The lack of Godly respect for one another that supports these actions. I want to hear that on the Michael Baisden Show, not the blanket, dismissive retort “A man should never hit a woman.”

Kinda Sutra

2009-01-28T20:31:00.000-08:00

It seems like I always knew the truth, but that can't be it.

"Good Hair" Documentary

2009-01-22T18:33:00.000-08:00

When Chris Rock’s daughter, Lola, came up to him crying and asked, “Daddy, how come I don’t have good hair?” the bewildered comic committed himself to search the ends of the earth and the depths of black culture to find out who had put that question into his little girl's head! Director Jeff Stilson’s camera followed the funnyman, and the result is Good Hair, a wonderfully insightful and entertaining, yet remarkably serious, documentary about African American hair culture.

More.

The Bristol Effect: Teen Pregnancy Rates Rise in 26 States

2009-01-19T07:34:00.000-08:00

The most recent data on teen birth rates has shown an increase in 26 states across the nation. The highest increase was found in Mississippi with New Mexico and Texas not far behind.

The national birth rate rose 3 percent between 2005 and 2006, marking an end to a 34 percent decline between 1991 and 2005, according to the National Center for Health Statistics report. More

Pinning any one reason down for the significant increase is an impossible feat. Many blame the abstinence-only education given in public schools and its lack of teaching teenagers about contraceptives. Others, on the other hand, cite Hollywood as to blame, for glamorizing unwed pregnant mothers such as Jamie Lynn Spears, and the positive portrayal of teen pregnancy the hit movie Juno.
As anybody who has children or has had a child knows (which is everyone), you can tell a child don’t touch the stove, but unless you have some negative reinforcement, either a smack on the hand or let them feel the heat they’ll never learn. So, why is it that when it comes to pregnancy prevention the best we can do is “No. Don’t do that.” We know it doesn’t work and it seems that the data is in and proves it. With Bristol Palin as the poster child for the effectiveness of Abstinence-only education it doesn't come as a shock to some that teen birth rates have risen in 26 states and that’s just the 2006 data.(I wonder what the abortion rate is? I bet good money that religion goes out the window when little Ellie Mae is in danger of losing her scholarship to the State college because Johnny Do-It-Good knocked her up). I’m willing to bet the numbers are worse for the last two years and everyone knows that birth rates rise in recessions. And I haven’t even addressed the prevalence of STD’s and STI’s among teenagers. What happened to the urgency of the early 90’s where you couldn’t turn on the TV without a new special urging teens to protect themselves and 20/20 specials of women and men speaking out about the devastation of AIDS. Do we just not give a shit anymore?
Now, I can’t remember the last time there was an AIDS in America special and while there is more sex on television than there was 10 years ago when I was in high school, there isn’t nearly as much emphasis on protection. There are no “very special episodes” of The Mentalist or whatever people watch these days. I guess it’s because reality TV took over. Light-hearted “family” fun like Dancing with the Stars and American Idol that don’t deal with “real” things like sex, death and disease, meanwhile little Sally is getting her abstinence-only education that only served as a break from her regular Algebra class. Fast forward 3 months and she’s pregnant and doesn’t know what to say to her parents who have pawned off the “sex” talk to the school system so they wouldn’t have to do it.
What they don’t tell you is that those same parents that say that “sex” should be a family conversation usually don’t have the conversation at all. Outside of, “No. Don’t do that.” Well, I hate to break it to them, but we’re programmed to seek out sexual gratification and it feels good. So, the “no” talk isn’t working very well. So, the school system is going to have to pick up where they’ve dropped the ball, giving comprehensive information so that these kids can make decisions that are in their best interest.
And for you conservatives out there I have to say that sex-education is just a small part of the overall education that is freely given to all Americans. If you don’t agree, much like those who don’t believe in evolution, you are welcome to home school your children. Otherwise the government must take pains to ensure that all of its citizens remain well-educated and healthy in order to better serve as participating citizens in this Democracy.

Jena 6 - The Aftermath

2009-01-15T13:23:00.000-08:00

MONROE, Louisiana (CNN) -- Mychal Bell says he felt pressure to be perfect after his part of 2006's "Jena 6" assault case was over. When police alleged last month that he wasn't, the Louisiana teen took his Christmas money and sought a gun to kill himself.
More

He'll be on Anderson Cooper tonight. I encourage all of you who supported the Jena 6 to watch. It really is a commentary on how America treats it's black boys. Not that he was failed by the system per se, but rather how he was failed by his community from the start.

School's Out

2009-01-14T12:09:00.001-08:00

It seems that private school enrollment is down, with a good many students being removed in the middle of the year as opposed to the end. As the recession continues to groan on middle class parents who placed their kids into private school either because of religious (sometimes), educational (moreso), or "social" (most-often) reasons have had to fall back on public schools to save money.

Cynthia Hogan pulled her daughter and son out of Catholic school when she started feeling the squeeze of a recession that had just begun.

"We just couldn't keep writing the check. It was killing us," said Hogan, who lives in San Francisco. "My husband just got laid off in October. Thank God we are where we are." More

Why do parents choose private school over public? Is there really a difference? Some will even argue that private schools have lower standards so that parents are lulled by better grades, though the education they receive may be of a lower standard than the public schools nearby. Some even argue that the education standards are definitely lower because the certification standards for teachers don't have to be met. But there is research that states that lower-income minority students enrolled in Catholic school perform better than their minority counterparts enrolled in public school.

... the study showed that when compared with their public school peers, African-American and Latino students in Catholic schools had beliefs about success and failure that were more conducive to learning. They were more likely to attribute success to ability and less likely to attribute either success or failure to external factors, such as luck or a difficult test. More

Statistics also show that minority students in U.S. urban Catholic high schools are 42 percent more likely to graduate than minority students who attend neighborhood public schools, and 2.5 times more likely to earn a college degree, Zinsmeister told Catholic News Service. More

So what's the deal?

I, myself, went to private school for a short while, as did my mother and husband, as are my godchildren. We can all say that it had to do with higher educational standards, and I think to some degree that was true, but it had more to do with separation from the common folk or to phrase it more positively, congregation with those of similar values. We all like to congregate with like minded people, and though we don't live in a post-racial society I think for the most part people are more comfortable with others on their class level than their race. Take a trip down to your local lunch spot, be it Applebee's or Bennigan's or what have you. You'll see a mult-culti mix of co-workers who are happy to mingle with each other and I'm sure they'd wouldn't mind having each other as neighbors.

The issue comes into play when the kids of your second cousin on your real Daddy's side sits next to yours in Kindergarten. And then you remember that Sheila never brushes that baby's hair, she doesn't know how to read, and she likes to bite. Now your child can't pay attention in class because Sheila's second child by that aspiring rapper that traveling quartet singer that you can't quite name is bothering her. The teacher tries to speak with Sheila, but you remember that "Sheila ain't doin' nuttin' with dem kids." Suddenly all that work you put into preparing your child for school begins to unravel as she picks up the attention grabbing habits of her distant cousin, and then you have a revelation. Private school. Now your child is in a class with kids whose parents check their homework at night and read them stories. They take field trips and learn about new technologies in the state-of-the-art media center.

Is it the school that is superior or is it the kids? Or rather the parents of the kids? It's a classism debate and I wonder what's going to happen now that these middle class kids are being pumped back into school systems with lower middle class and lower class students. Will their collective ire at the state of public education force the public schools to tighten their reigns and increase discipline and educational standards? I'm not sure.

What are your thoughts?

SCHIP Resurrected

2009-01-14T10:50:00.000-08:00

The House will vote this afternoon on an expansion of SCHIP, the program that provides health insurance to children from lower income households. The Senate is also expected to act in the coming days.

Recall that the last Congress twice sent similar legislation to President Bush, only to have it vetoed. The aim this time is to have both the House and the Senate pass the measure and have it on President Obama's desk soon after he takes office.

Sponsors of the bill say that the $35 billion expansion will cover an additional 4 million kids, bringing the total to 11 million. It is paid with a 61 cents per pack tax on cigarettes. More

Every administration spends money. The question is what are you willing to spend money on. The last 8 years we've spent trillions on the systematic murder of men, women and children in countries across the globe. I applaud any effort to again place our priorities inward and positively so. The health and welfare of our country is paramount and what better to spend our tax dollars, specifically cigarette tax dollars, on than health coverage for children.

Democracy at Work

2009-01-07T10:34:00.000-08:00

I love this photo. All of these men have different backgrounds, different policies and they are all Americans. Left and right, conservative and somewhat liberal. We live in a truly great land. A truly great land.

I have to admit my seething hatred for G.W. Bush has waned over the last few weeks. I can say that I'd shake his hand if I met him. I'd wash it right after lest the mark of the beast rub off, but I'd shake it.

A Thanks to Barnes and Noble

2009-01-04T07:26:00.000-08:00

If you're going to rain down criticism, you have to rain down praise. So, I've sent a Thank You note to Barnes and Noble.

To Whom It May Concern,
I wanted to send a note to express my thanks for your superior organizational skills. When subject headings are used exclusively for organization in bookstores personal bias can rear it's ugly head in a way that is not only condescending, but sometimes downright offensive. I am referring to the use of the "African-American Fiction" heading. I applaud you for not using this heading in your stores. It creates a literary ghetto where Noble Prize Winning Fiction such as Toni Morrison's Beloved is placed on the same shelf as the insipid Marry Your Baby's Daddy by Maryann Reid for no other reason than the fact that both author's happen to be black.

I appreciate your care in this matter and it makes the difference in my purchases. I will make the extra drive to a Barnes and Noble because I feel that as an African-American consumer I am respected.

Thank you,
Shanna Miles

DIY

2009-01-02T19:09:00.000-08:00

One of my new year's resolutions is to be more creative and my husband's Do It Yourself(DIY) spirit has inspired me to spend my free time creating rather than watching TV or stewing about things that don't matter. With the economy slipping the ability to do things yourself may become a necessity, and there is something so satisfying and self affirming about making something you want or need yourself. It's amazing how a painting or apron can make you feel like anything is possible.

Crafting is attainable art. One doesn't need to have a Masters in Fine Art or attend Parson's. It's democratic, anti-elitist, for the people.

You can say, "Screw Macy's! I can knit a sweater." "Rooms to Go, be damned! I can make myself a new end table". DIY is cheaper and fun. There are tons of books and sites dedicated to those old domestic arts like sewing, soap making, crochet, knitting, stitching, screen printing, stenciling and a host of other cool things.So I've got a few small projects in mind to get me started and I've found some great resources below.

What do you make?

Etsy
Ready Made

Craft Magazine
Make
Instructables

2008 Reflections

2009-01-02T18:54:00.000-08:00

2008 was an eventful year and, of course, January is the time for reflection and resolution. Last year, like every year, I made a list of things that I wanted to accomplish and this year is no different. In recent years I've even paired down the lists, as I used to get together with a friend of mine and crank out an entire 3-ring binder full of benchmarks and aspirations. I've given that up, but I'll never stop making the lists and I have an inspiration board above my bed that serves as a reminder for the things that matter to me. But before I can look to the future I need to resolve the past and I think I've got a lot to be proud of this year.

1. I became a vegetarian. Sort of. It has always been a goal of mine to give up meat, and praise God I've been forced to.

2. I maintained a 4.0 grad GPA. If only I could have done that in high school.

3. I celebrated a 2nd year of marriage. Ah, another year as an outlier in the land of statistical anomalies. According to popular science I should be unmarried, unhappy and supporting at least one kid single-handedly while holding a sign that says Strong Black Woman on it sponsored by Tyler Perry studios.

4. I realized I am beautiful, because I'm not trying to fit into a mold.

5. I started to recycle and reuse. I want my actions to reflect my philosophy about life-caring about yourself leads to caring about others.

What did you accomplish this year?

Want a cheap trick? Better go down to Freaknik

2008-12-26T19:35:00.000-08:00

When I was in high school there was an event called "Freaknik" held in Atlanta over the course of one week and it was said to be the ultimate in fundom. In my little city in South Carolina, a close second was held by Black Bike Week in Myrtle Beach, SC. This event was held the week after graduation each year, usually the first week of June. The scene was supposed to be filled with college students, young kids, mingling, parties, drinks and a little adventure. Well, in my mind that's what I thought it should be, but before I was able to make entrance into the world of semi-adult parties Freaknik was shut down by the city of Atlanta. Why, you ask?

Well, while these events are meant for recent graduates and college kids on vacation they usually attracted hordes of excitable boys, drunk with their own perceived manhood and itching for a chance to prove whose Y chromosome was bigger. You would hear tell of women gang-raped and all manner of other dangers and slowly the prospect of going lost its fantasy appeal. One summer I made an impromptu trip to bike week. In all we may have been there 3 hours. On every corner there were groups of guys on jeeps and and trucks cat-calling to the women who walked by. I had decided to wear a blue bathing suit and a skirt. Resigned to being the smurf for the afternoon I endured the male gaze in a most penetrating way. The gaze that looks with expectation, with hunger and without a shred of the usual hope of approval. We really were sheep in a den of wolves. Now there were those who adored being the sheep on the alter right before the slaughter. I'm not sure if they enjoyed their deaths or just endured them as a penance for the much-needed approving gaze, but those of us who declined the requests to show the prize under our skirts for all too ubiquitous video camera or invite to the hotel room filled with more men than beds were deemed stuck up and subject to jeers, curses and the like. You know...I'll be that.

Black Masculinity

2008-12-22T18:37:00.000-08:00

Awesome!

Parable of the Talents- A Good Read

2008-12-16T12:16:00.000-08:00

Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Talents gives us a dark and insightful look into the not-so-distant future. The country has slipped into political and economic decline as global warming wreaks havoc on the bread basket, making it hard for the US to it’s jingoistic view of the world without cannibalizing its own citizens. Alaska has seceded and public education has become a thing of the past, giving rise to a subpopulation of illiterate poor who have no choice but to prey on the rich or form small communities of shanty towns on the periphery of larger cities or communes in secluded areas. Acorn is one of these communes. Acorn, is the brainchild or Lauren Oya Olamina, a charismatic young, black visionary compelled to spread the gospel of her own religion. While preaching “God is Change” Olamina welcomes those who are willing to work and builds an oasis of community and friendship in the midst of chaos.

Parable shows us a United States where debtor’s prison has returned and slavery is as commonplace as an out of work software engineer. The tale begins in 2032 and is told through the journal entries of Olamina and her daughter. The reader is taken on a bleak, but hopeful journey as the seeds of religious tyranny, classism, and short-sighted corporate greed come to fruition in just a few short decades. On a more individual and internal note the story raises the question of duty and purpose. If life has no purpose, only potential, are we beholden to the bonds of blood and friendship or to the passions we pursue? How do those choices affect us and the world around us?

I’m not a very big science fiction fan, but I love the small, relatable fantasies that make Parable engaging. I especially liked the idea of “Sharers”, these are the children of parents who are addicted to “smart drugs”, or what we would call Ritilin. The Ritilin addiction causes the children to become hyperempaths, able to feel the pains and pleasures of the people around them. Olamina is one of these.

I really like Butler’s work, they’re not appropriate for young readers because of the subject matter and scenes of rape and murder, but it is an engaging read. A good read.