Happy Holidays-Day 84

Happy Monday. I missed writing my daily entries. I missed you so much. However, I hope you had a very good "Thanksgiving", and I wish you the happiest holiday season ever.

My daughter and I had a very nice holiday. We went to feed the hungry.

I explained to my daughter the genuine meaning of "Thanksgiving". It is not just to sit around with family and friends and share turkey, dressing and other delicious "goodies". But it is a time to give sincere "thanks" for your family, life, liberty, and this great country of ours. It is a time to share our blessings with others.

This is why every Thanksgiving and Christmas, I believe it is especially important to give to others. It is important to learn to serve. So my daughter and I headed out to a church to "serve" probably those less fortunate than us. We helped to feed them, we gladly catered to them, we share our love and our hearts. We helped make the homeless and others feel like they were the "crowned heads",(Kings and Queens) and we were their royal subjects.:)

We kindly welcomed them into the church, "hello and happy Thanksgiving, please be seated so that we may serve you." Thereafter, they were served with a warm plate of food, with all of the "fixings". We then re-approached these people and asked "may we get anything else for you?"

It was absolutely wonderful. My daughter loved serving others. She received so many compliments from so many different people. She loved them and they loved her.

I explained to my daughter that whatever someone's status in life, all people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. I continued " we do not talk down to people because they may be temporarily out of work", and dress and smell different. If we have nothing good to say about someone, we should keep our mouths shut, is my philosophy. Albeit, I do not live by it daily, I am a work in progress.

Moreover, it is important for people to help people because as many of you know, most middle class families in America maybe a paycheck away from homelessness. You may have a job today but a "pink-slip" tomorrow.(layoff notice).

I thank God for my children, a reasonable amount of health, a place to lay our heads at night and shower in the mornings. I thank God for placing good people in our lives. By this I mean people that will help when help is needed.

I had a problem with my car this past weekend as well. The starter on my car went out without any warning. I asked several people to assist. I did not have the money to pay for a new starter and I rely on my vehicle. But someone stepped up to the plate and help out. Now my car is running again, and I can get out to work to take care of my daughter and me. THANK YOU.

I will remember you when I am completely standing on my own two feet. This person also told me about "Tyler Perry". He is the man behind the "Madea" plays and movies. He was homeless in Atlanta, Georgia, years ago, prior to becoming rich and famous.

So what does this mean? This means that you never know who a person can turn out to be or the amount of money he or she can eventually earn. Meaning, I may be down today, but I can be up running a marathon tomorrow.

Always treat others as you would want them to treat you. What if your car went out and you did not have the money at hand, and you needed help. Would you want someone to help you?

Now don't you think its time for all of us to start placing LOVE in the savings account (giving) so that we can withdraw later (receiving). If we never give how do we expect to ever receive?

Have a "giving" day,


L. for Love

Oprah Winfrey-We Need YOU!-Day 83

Happy Tuesday. I hope you enjoy this day no matter the outcome. I hope you enjoy life, your children, your spouse, and more importantly, I hope you are loved, this day. Make it a wonderful one.

Many of you know that I share with you exactly what is on my mind. I do not intentionally try to be rude and/or sarcastic about the truth. I just tell it like it really is. I must do this because too many of us will not. We go about our lives as though "the emperor has clothes on", when in fact, he is stark naked.

Moreover, I use to watch Oprah Winfrey years ago. I loved her. She made me proud. I was very happy to see a Black woman accomplish so much. She has done quite a lot, I believe for Black colleges and for all people, regardless of color.

The reason, I mention color is because Black people are in the most dire need for role models of any ethnic group. We do not have many people we can classify as "role mode;s". In fact, their are so few role models that Black children in most destitute areas in America are aspiring to be like the older girls in their communities, or the "video vixens".

Video vixens are the girls in the "rappers" videos that dress very provocative to expose their voluptuous bodies in suggestive manners. These girls shake their "money makers" in the rappers face and anywhere else these "rappers" want. These "vixens" are treated like pieces of delectable meat, waiting for their turn to be reduced to nothing but "leftovers", on the rappers plate.

But Oprah, has shown us that as women, we can use their mind to accomplish so much more than our bodies ever will. She is an example for all women. I love most things about her. But I question others.

Now you may say, "what ...you are going to "criticize" Oprah?

My response is I can not hold back truths just because Oprah is OPRAH. But I will say that I believe that Oprah is in a magnificent position to bring out some of the issues that I have mentioned in previous writings. She has a wide audience. She has exposure to the media that I am trying to obtain.

Why is Oprah not raising questions about these issues that plague Black Aericans? Could it be that she will lose many members of her audience?

Sometimes people that we admire the most need to be "called out" or challenged. Sometimes these people motives need to be analyzed and critiqued. We can not just give them "a past" because of who they are. This is not fair.

So this is my take on Oprah. I love her and admire her. I would just respect her more if she would expose what is going on in Black America more. She knows that most Black people do not read. She knows that too many Black men abandon their families. She knows that in the Black communities, their are more Black churches than there are businesses. She knows that this present day generation of Black children are considered by most "LOST".

I am a believer in exposure. The light needs to shine on these intricacies without the fear of being branded a traitor. Oprah is in an exceptional position to shine a light on these problems. They are too arduous to ignore or make believe they do not exist.

I believe that when a person is in a position of greatness, she should do great things. So what is greatness?

Greatness- a person who has achieved importance or distinction in a field: important; highly significant or consequential.

Oprah's prominence gives her, not only the access but the forum by which to discuss and hold public debates regarding the serious denigration of the Black people in America.

Oprah is a very intelligent woman. She must see what I see unless she has on visual blinders.

Oprah, we love you and cherish you but we need you. Our Black children are dying, they are ignorant, unloved and void of feelings. Please help us to expose these serious ills. Help us to expose that Dr. Martin Luther King's dream is dying, if it is not already dead. But I believe that as long as there is life, there is hope.


But hope eventually fades. Oprah, I hope that you will help us help ourselves.

It is important for me to say this because I feel this in my heart. No amount of money can purchase eternal life. So this means that all life comes to an end, even Oprah's. She can not take her billions of dollars to the grave with her. So what is to become of her great fortune,. when she is no longer gracing our presence?

Helping others is the name of game. Always has been, always will. No matter how many toys Oprah or anyone else can buy. There is no greater gift in life than to help others. I just hope helping in the Black community come sooner rather later.

Have a wonderful day.


L. for Love

Are Black Churches Helping Their Communities? -Day 82

Happy Monday. I hope you have a very productive, loving and sincere work week. The holidays are upon us. The year is expeditiously coming to a close.

Yesterday my daughter and I went to the cinema. We did NOT see "Precious", as it is an adult movie. I was not aware of all of the sexual content in the movie. Someone suggested that I see the movie first then ascertain if my daughter should see the movie, at that point. I agreed with this person. Thank you. You know who you are.

Please allow me to say at this point that I welcome all input from you. Of course, you do not have to agree with me. We can agree to disagree. I believe in a diversity of ideas and thoughts. I am very open minded, when it comes to most things. But others things, I am steadfast in my belief.

This brings me to the movie we actually saw this past weekend. "The Blind Side". This movie was absolutely wonderful. It is about a Black boy, who happens to be not only homeless, but fatherless, and motherless as well. His mother had a serious drug problem and did not know who the boy's actual father was. This black boy was in and out of various people's homes, trying to find a place to just lay his head. His life was such a mess, that I reconsidered my own problems in lieu of the enormity of this young boy's problems. I have a wonderful life in comparison.:)

I cried. As the tears from eyes rolled down my brown cheeks, I thought. I questioned why was it the "white family" that had assisted this young black boy? I questioned where were the black ministers in his community? I questioned the role that the black ministers and their congregations are actually playing in most black communities.

What are black ministers doing for most black communities? Or should they do anything?

Church- a building for public Christian worship.

Ministers-a person authorized to conduct religious worship; member of the clergy; pastor.

Congregation-an assembly of persons brought together for common religious worship.

What is the purpose of the Church?
by Matt Slick

The purpose of the church is to worship God (Luke 4:8; John 4:23; Rev. 4:10), study His Word (2 Tim. 2:15; 1 Cor. 4:6), pray (Acts 2:42), love one another (John 13:35; Phil. 1:1-4), help each other (Gal. 6:2), partake of baptism and the Lord's supper (Luke 22:19-20), to learn how to live as godly people (Titus 2:11), and to be equipped to evangelize the world (Eph. 4:12; Matt. 28:18-20).


Aha. The purpose of church is to HELP people. I wonder why most black churches do not really help black people. They may give them some food, clothes or other tangible property that is usually donated to them (churches). But what is help?

Help-to give or provide what is necessary to accomplish a task or satisfy a need; contribute strength or means to; render assistance to;to give aid; be of service or advantage.

According to Dale A. Robbins:

"Christ has intended for His church to let its light shine to the world — to love, to care for, and to meet needs of humanity, while upholding the redemptive truths and righteousness of Jesus Christ. "And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful" (Titus 3:14). Jesus told His church, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:16)."

The Black churches are NOT meeting the needs of most of the people in their communities. Too many homeless, uneducated, drug abusers, and other people with a mountain of problems that it appears most churches are running from.

In fact, I personally know that some churches have walls or gates around their churches for the sole purposes of keeping some people out of their churches. Now, I believe I know what you are thinking, "most churches want to keep out the people that will probably "rob, steal and/or kill." Right?

But aren't these the same people that Jesus wants us to invite into the church? These are the people that need Christians love the most. The people without hope without love.

This is my take on the question:

Black churches have become BIG business. They are more interested in capturing the people who can pay the most tithes (10% of gross wages). They are more interested in building the biggest sanctuaries so that they can offer "the most special activities" to the congregation. Most of the people in the congregation do not know each other and walk past each other as though they are "strangers", as oppose to "brothers and sisters".

Most ministers of "these churches" drive expensive cars. They live in some of the most beautiful homes. They wear some of the most expensive apparel that their congregation's money can buy. If you want to speak with "your pastor", most times you have to go through his assistant's assistant. My...my...the truth does not look too good, but it is the truth none the less.

Now let us closely scrutinize the lifestyles of MOST of the members of their congregation:

Poor. Without sufficient income. They live destitute, trying to get by on menial wages, after paying their tithes and giving additional money for the "building funds and pastors appreciation days", after being promised that if they "give for these special occasion funds", blessings are on the way.


But the blessings rarely comes.

Now you tell me what role is the black church is playing in most Black communities? I am waiting.

Have a wonderful work week.

L. for Love

I Love YOU- Day 81

Happy Saturday. I hope you have an absolutely wonderful weekend. My daughter and I plan to go see the new movie "Precious". This movie is about an extremely over weight African American girl, who has no self confidence and she feels like she has no one in the world who loves her.

This is a very important movie for ALL people because it depicts the power of LOVE. We all need love and we spend our entire lives searching to find it.

But I just want to take this opportunity to say that I Love You. I know that I am not "in love" with you. But I love each and every one of you as my fellow human beings. We have more in common than we have differences.

Although the color of our skin may be different. The texture of our hair may be different. The way our minds think and analyze information may be different.

But I tell you one thing, if we are cut, ALL our blood is the same color, and our body make up as human beings is basically the same.

I love you. I love you. I love you.

We all need love. We crave it. We die for it. Most of us will NOT find in our life time. If you are one of the fortunate ones to find love, hold on to it.

For love is like a feather, if you do not take care of it, cherish it, and most importantly HOLD on to it, it will fly away.

Do you have LOVE in your life?

Have a great and loving day,

L. for LOVE

The Most InExpensive Healthcare Reform-Day 80

Happy Friday. May this day bring you joy, happiness, peace and above all LOVE.

Today, my daughter and I are at another bookstore. She is reading Richard Wright, "Black Boy". This is an autobiography of the life of the black author, as he was growing up in segregated America.

I have read the same book probably about three (3) times. I absolutely loved it. Moreover, I remember a section in the book where he wrote about being very "hungry". He wrote that there was very little food for him and his family. He would go the entire day on just a can of "pork and beans". And I thought to myself, "food is so plentiful now". Instead of starving to death most people are eating themselves to an early grave.

This brings me to today's topic. The most inexpensive healthcare reform. Do you know what it is?

Ever heard of "self preservation"?

Self-Preservation- preservation of oneself from harm or destruction.

Preserve-to keep alive or in existence; make lasting:

Now can you see where I am going? In America, food is abundant. Food is everywhere. Therefore, we must make thoughtful and wise choices.

The "choice" to select foods that will preserve and maintain our overall health of our "outer shells"(bodies). If we eat healthy foods, and carefully monitor our intake, can you conclude that your body will be in a state of preservation?

But if we chose to eat greasy delicious hamburgers, fries, cakes cookies, fried chicken, and drink sodas all day, can you conclude that our bodies would break down and be very unhealthy?(sickly/diseased)

Therefore, the most inexpensive healthcare reform is reforming our own minds to understand the importance of our own daily healthcare plan. Now, we still need health insurance, to cover the cost of the necessity of essential medical care. But most healthcare problems that we suffer from here in American can be avoided.

According to "Rye and Health":

"Improved diet can help unlock the door to good health. People who lead a healthy lifestyle also pay attention to their nutritional habits. Good nutrition means adequately nourishing the body by choosing a variety of foods low in fat, salt and sugar and high in carbohydrates, especially starch and dietary fibre. Mortality is significantly lower in people consuming whole grain products (Andersson et al. 2000, Slavin 2003)."

And Bobby Hasselbring writes that, "You're at greater risk for high blood cholesterol and heart disease if you eat a diet that often includes deep-fried or breaded foods, which are high in fat. Diets high in saturated fat and cholesterol tend to raise total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Foods that are fried or breaded tend to be very high in fat because they are cooked in fat. When you fry foods, such as chicken, that already contain saturated fat, you simply add more fat to them."

It is important to point out that much of our diet is planned around what is convenient. But according to Tom Laskawy, convenience comes at a serious price to our health:

"What McDonald’s sells is convenience. As does General Mills. And Wal-mart. These are the companies that effectively dictate food policy. While they are aided and abetted by other big players all the way back up the supply chain, as the ultimate buyers of most of the world’s agricultural output, they are the prime movers. These companies may have been made possible by the agricultural innovations of the early 20th century, but by the 21st century, they succeeded in flipping the causal arrow—we have the system they need to survive.

When we talk about reform, about shutting down CAFOs, stopping GMOs, eliminating harmful pesticides and increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables—all of which we must do—we still have to operate under the pestilential threat of "convenience." Americans’ time and inclinations, not to mention income inequality, already conspire against food. It’s not that Americans (or anyone else for that matter) want bad food. But if offered convenience in exchange, they’ll often take it.

So which meal would you select for your own healthcare reform? French fries or a nice salad?


Have a healthy and productive day.

L. for Love

Health Care Reform Is Needed NOW -Day 79

Happy Thursday.

As I sit with my beautiful daughter in the bookstore, I thank God for reasonably good health. Meaning, I do not have any "known" health problems. However, anything can be lying dormant in my body, that I have no clue of. But to my knowledge, I do not have any known health problems.

Oh...let me correct myself, I do have earaches, once in awhile, and I get pimples on my face.(adult acne).

So why do I say that health care reform in America is needed?

First do you understand that many Americans are without health insurance? If these uninsured people are not covered by some form of health insurance, when they are ill or sick, they will just run up hospital bills that they cannot pay, and who will pick up the tab in the end?

You got it. The tax payers. This includes you, me and millions of other hardworking Americans. Also, it is important to note that many of uninsured are people who are working but cannot afford health insurance. Like myself, I cannot afford health insurance right now, because of my inability to purchase affordable insurance. I am pretty healthy but anything can happen to me, and I can be without my good health. What would happen to my beautiful minor daughter? God Forbid!

Health Care-the field concerned with the maintenance or restoration of the health of the body or mind.

Health Insurance-insurance that compensates the insured for expenses or loss incurred for medical reasons, as through illness or hospitalization.

Illness-unhealthy condition; poor health; indisposition; sickness.

Reform-to form again.


Some of my fellow Americans believe that we "simply cannot afford" to pay for health care to cover "these" people because our taxes may be raised beyond what we are able to sustain. However, this argument falls short.

The truth is that we cannot afford NOT to ensure that our fellow American our covered. Moreover, according to the New England Journal of Medicine:

Neither option is attractive. Evidence regarding regional variations in spending and growth, however, points to a more hopeful alternative: we should be able to reorganize and improve care to eliminate wasteful and unnecessary services.1

But not everyone is convinced. Some physicians, hospital administrators, and legislators appear to have succumbed to a behavioral bias. They know that their patients are sick and that sick patients need more care than relatively healthy ones. They therefore conclude that the reason their hospital or region spends more is that their patients are sicker and poorer than those cared for by institutions in other regions. Given this reverse “Lake Wobegon” effect that renders all U.S. patients below average (in Garrison Keillor’s fictional town of Lake Wobegon “all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average”), they argue that any efforts to rein in costs will cause harm to the people we most want to protect.

And it’s not hard to find examples of places where this explanation might appear to make perfect sense: in Los Angeles, where Medicare spends $10,810 per capita, a somewhat higher percentage of the population (15%) is at or below the poverty line than in Minneapolis (10%), which spends $6,705 per capita.

This is too important a moment to allow physicians or policymakers to be confused by behavioral biases or distracted by one-off examples. Health is indeed the most important determinant of health care spending, but differences in health explain only a small part of the regional variations in spending."

Health care reform is needed now. It does need to be a partisan issue. All of the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate have "first class" health insurance",, paid in full by the "tax payers of these U.S. "

So they can enjoy the benefits and fruits of yours and my labor, but our fellow citizens in real and genuine need cannot? Give me a break. It is high time these members of Congress take a pay cut and pay for their own health insurance. In fact, I believe every member should a pay cut and forego health insurance coverage for at least a year. Then let them return to congress, and debate the issue of health care.

Sometimes, you do not understand and cannot therefore empathize with people that you have no inkling what they are going through. It is so very easy to sit back under the U.S. citizens umbrella and argue that health care insurance should only be for those who can afford.

My questions are, "what if YOU could not afford health care insurance? Would your position change"?

Have a healthy day,

L. for Love

An Interesting Question-Day 78

Happy Wednesday. May this day be the best day of your life. May you accomplish all of your goals. May you enjoy health, happiness, and above all LOVE.

Yesterday I wrote an entry regarding most men that I have encounter preferring what I classified as "non-thinking" women. I even shared with you the fact that most of the Black men that I either married, dated, or had some kind of contact with, were intellectually inferior to me.

But I had an interesting question posed to me that I want to openly respond to. The question was" in a nut shell":

"L. why do you choose these inferior men?"

I will answer this question truthfully and as honestly as I can. First, I have wondered this same thing. Why are the men that I have chosen to have an intimate relationship with all inferior to me intellectually? Do I enjoy having more thinking ability than them? Do I want to control the relationship? Do I feel empowered by having men that I know can not challenge me intellectually?

The answer is that most Black men are inferior to me intellectually. In the past, I considered myself loyal to Black men. This means that I refused to date any other ethnic group. I did not date outside of my race. I was a loyal "sista", as most would say.

So if I had in the past dated ONLY Black men, and most Black men are not intelligent, what are my chances of dating an intelligent Black man? Most of the professional Black men were married, and I do not date married men.

Think about this for a moment, on the average, most Black males are either in prison, on drugs, or hanging on some street corner. Where are intelligent or professional unmarried Black men?

I "settled" for men based on the ones that were in my environment. I believe my selection of inferior men, in the past, is a direct reflection of the pool of Black men that were in my aggregate of surrounding things. Most Black men have inferior intelligence.

Most Black families are fatherless, because the Black men have abandoned their children. Most Black children are illiterate because Black men are not leaders in their communities, and mother are trying to do it all. Most Black communities are in a state of chaos because they have no leadership and most of the homes have no father.


So you tell me, what did I have to look forward to in a man but inferior intelligence? This is the pool that most Black women have to choose from. This is the exact reason so many professional Black women are single. (Watch the Movie "Waiting to Exhale") It clearly depicts this dilemma that most professional Black women find themselves in.

We (Black women) do not have much at all to choose from unless we go outside of our race, which I have decided to do. I am no longer "loyal" to Black men. In fact, I am finally "airing their dirty laundry". I am telling and exposing them for who most of them really are. ( Non Thinkers)

I chose "these men" based on what I had available to choose from. But the fact is most Black men are intellectually inferior to most professional women.

So there. I shared the dirty honest truth with you. I need an intelligent man. I do not just want "to settle" any longer. It is a prerequisite at this point and time in my life. When I marry this time, I want it to be the last time. I want it to be for life. And how could this possibly be with a man that can not even speak and complete a proper sentence, without saying "you know", at the end of every sentence?

My question to these men is "do I know what, do I know that you are unintelligent and can not speak in complete sentences because you have not taken the time to "feed" your brain, like you feed your appetite for sex?"

Think about it.


Have a great day, and please do not forget to feed your brain.:)

L. for Love

Why Do Most Men Like "NonThinking" Women-Day 77

Happy Tuesday. May this day be the greatest day ever. We can not change yesterday. But we can do something about today, and plan for tomorrow.

With that said, I must share with you that I find more men running to me when they see me. Why?

I consider myself an attactive lady. I take care of myself. Meaning that I am well groomed. I bathe daily and keep my appearance up. However, what I find strange is that when I get into a conversation with a man, he runs away. Why?

Could it be that I am not the "average" attractive lady with nice curves? I can speak in complete sentences. I do know more than the typical "hair and nails" thing. I can even have an intellectual conversation with you regarding most any political topic. I have more than just breast, butt and legs.

So why is it that most men, in my humble opinion, prefer nonthinking women? Why are you (men) intimidated by women that actually have and more importantly "use" their brain?

Just take the time and look at the women on television. Watch the "Kardashions". (I believe I spelled it right, but I do not watch the show) Moreover, these women parade around in the latest fashion, with hot bodies, and no real morals or values with regard to real life issues. They have become huge "celebrities" on visual appearance alone, no genuine talent . (Please note that I do not personally know nor have I ever met any of these women. I base my opinion solely on the content of the show-what little I have seen).

My conversations are NOT about the latest "name brand" handbags or designor outfits. I like to converse with you about issues that affect our daily lives. More in depth and profound topics.

Most all of the Black men that I have dated in the past, have been intellectually inferior, to me. This is the honest truth. However, I am not "ego" tripping. I am sharing with you my quest to find a man that is not afraid of a thinking woman. I am tired of pretending because I feel that I have to dumb-down to be accepted by a mate.

I know how to be humble. In fact, I prefer being humble to a real man. A man that knows and understands the importance of his leadership role. He should know how to treat a lady how to commit and how to be faithful. He should know that it takes two to make a relationship work.

Do not fear, a real woman is here. Try us.(intelligent women) I promise you will love us.:)

Have a great and "thinking" day,

L. for Love

"Mentally" Conditioned Not to READ-Day 76

Happy Monday. I hope you have an absolutely wonderful work week.

I had a very nice weekend. Of course my daughter and I went to the bookstore. We always enjoy the ambiance. We spent this past Saturday reading and analyzing. I also took some children that I tutor to the bookstore. These children enjoyed the "learning" and "education" environment almost as much as I did, or maybe more. They went "exploring" through the children's section. We had "reading" time. We discussed each book that we read, for comprehension. We had a wonderful time and most importantly, they...let me correct this "we" were learning.

But as the weekend came to a close, I asked myself the question, why don't more Black children enjoy reading? I truly have a serious problem with this but I believe I understand the root cause.

Condition-a particular mode of being of a person or thing; existing state; situation with respect to circumstances.

Many Black children "believe" that they do not like to read. This is what is said in most of their environments.

Environment-the aggregate of surrounding things, conditions, or influences; surroundings; milieu.

Most Black children's environment is a negative ambiance. Meaning that most of their time is spent in wasteful activities such as, playing negatives games on the computer, watching "rich rappers" videos on UTUBE, and other nonproductive activities.

It takes time to read. Every word on the page must be viewed and pronounced either aloud or in your head. You must think when you read. Meaning, you must be an active participant as opposed to inactive observer.

Participate-to take or have a part or share, as with others; partake; share (usually fol. by in)

Think about this for a moment: How much thinking does it take to "play" most "games" on the computer? What skills do the children acquire from most of these games? Will these "games" assist the children in the skills needed for their education?

Now let us compare reading.

Read-to look at carefully so as to understand the meaning of (something written, printed, etc.): to read a book;to utter aloud or render in speech.

What skills are required from reading, you may ask?

According to the North Central Education Laboratory, "Cognitive skills are any mental skills that are used in the process of acquiring knowledge; these skills include reasoning, perception, and intuition. Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (1998) describes the importance of cognitive skills in acquiring literacy skills:

"Reading and writing rely on a specific set of cognitive skills such as attention, memory, symbolic thinking, and self-regulation. As children learn to read and write, they continue to improve these skills, making them more purposeful and deliberate. Deliberate attention is required to differentiate between letters, even if they look alike, and to isolate specific portions of a word for encoding or decoding it. Children must remember the previous words as they decode the subsequent words in a sentence. If they do not make a purposeful attempt to remember, they cannot extract what the sentence means. Writing and reading are the use of symbols and if children cannot think symbolically, they cannot learn to manipulate letters and words. Finally, self-regulation must be in place so that children can monitor their own understanding of the print so they can abandon ineffective reading strategies and move on to more effective ones."

So as can be seen by the facts above, reading is essential to cognitive skills.

Cognitive-of or pertaining to the mental processes of perception, memory, judgment, and reasoning, as contrasted with emotional and volitional processes.

This is one of the reasons why "educated people", for the most part, are more likely to want to reason and discuss problems where uneducated and/or illiterate people process perception by their emotions, and are more likely than not to be more prone to violent outburst.

Please condition your children to know that "readers are leaders".

Have a wonderful work week.

L. for Love

Our Enemies Among Us-Day 75

Happy Friday. May this day be the best day of your life. May you have peace and happiness in your life. May you know that you are blessed to live in one of the greatest countries on the face of the earth. My home and 'birth country", these United States of America.

This entry is dedicated to the lives that were lost in the Fort Hood massacre. Our love, hearts and prayers go out to the families of the fallen soldiers. May they R.I.P.

How did this tragedy happen? Why? Why don't we screen better, even at the chance of being labelled racist or even confronting claims of discrimination? I for one believe this tragedy could have been prevented.

I believe that as Americans we have become too complacent. We are afraid of someone screaming "racism" and/or labeling members of our government, "discriminators". But we must deal with the reality that 9-11 did in fact happen, and the perpetrators were all middle eastern men. This is not to say that ALL middle eastern men will hijack our planes and send them careening into buildings. However, military officials must due their due diligence, and properly screen all prospective military personnel.

This is essential to a safe and effective military. Moreover, questions like the ones I posed above are being asked. ON California Public radio, it was said:

"Did the military and U.S. intelligence officials miss the warning signs exhibited by Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the suspect in last week's shootings at Fort Hood? Over the past year the FBI and the military intercepted emails between Hasan and a radical Yemen-based cleric with ties to two of the Sept. 11 hijackers, but an assessment concluded that Hasan did not pose a threat. What role did political correctness and sensitivity regarding Hasan's Muslim faith play in keeping officials from taking further action?"

According to Daniel Henningerr, "The only good news out of the Fort Hood massacre is that U.S. electronic surveillance technology was able to pick up Major Hasan's phone calls to an al Qaeda-loving imam in Yemen. The bad news is the people and agencies listening to Hasan didn't know what to do about it. Other than nothing."


It is high time we set aside political correctness, and do whatever is necessary to make sure that all members our military are safe from the "enemies among us". If we are called racist, lets deal with it openly. If certain ethnic groups challenge our fairness, let us be more than willing to look to the greater good. For example:

If the greater good was the priority in the Fort Hood massacre, all muslims would have to go through a more detailed background check, and all calls and emails would be under close scrutiny. "Political Correctness". What is this, when the greater good for all is the paramount importance? Or is it?

Have a great day and loving weekend,


L. for Love

Happy "Belated" Veterans Day-Day 74

Happy Thursday. Yesterday was Veterans day, and I mistakenly got the date confused with "Columbus Day".

Please accept my sincere apology. Our strong, brave, and courageous men and women are fighting to protect our homeland. And I had the unintentional audacity to get the holiday mixed up with another. This goes to display my lack of knowledge with many of these holidays. I was so embarrassed, that I wanted to make sure that I made the correction first thing this morning.

I respect and love our fellow countrymen and women. I honor you and hold you in high esteem. But do you know that most people do not understand what "Veterans' Day really men. What is the reason we celebrate this day?

Let me guess before I go to Wikipedia to get the legitimate answer. Ok...here goes,

Veteran's Day is to celebrate all of our men and women who put their lives on the line to fight for the freedom we take for granted. We celebrate their lives and those who lost their lives fighting for America.

Now Wikipedia's definition:

Veterans Day is an annual American holiday honoring military veterans. A federal holiday, it is usually observed on November 11. However, if it occurs on a Sunday then the following Monday is designated for holiday leave, and if it occurs Saturday then either Saturday or Friday may be so designated.[1] It is also celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world, falling on November 11, the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.)

History:

U.S. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed an Armistice Day for November 11, 1919. The United States Congress passed a concurrent resolution seven years later on June 4, 1926, requesting the President issue another proclamation to observe November 11 with appropriate ceremonies. An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U.S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday; "a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day'."
In 1953, an Emporia, Kansas shoe store owner named Al King had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who served in World War I. King had been actively involved with the American War Dads during World War II. He began a campaign to turn Armistice Day into "All" Veterans Day. The Emporia Chamber of Commerce took up the cause after determining that 90% of Emporia merchants as well as the Board of Education supported closing their doors on November 11, 1953, to honor veterans. With the help of then-U.S. Rep. Ed Rees, also from Emporia, a bill for the holiday was pushed through Congress. President Dwight Eisenhower signed it into law on May 26, 1954.[3]
Congress amended this act on November 8, 1954, replacing "Armistice" with Veterans, and it has been known as Veterans Day since.[4][5]
Although originally scheduled for celebration on November 11 of every year, starting in 1971 in accordance with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, Veterans Day was moved to the fourth Monday of October. In 1978 it was moved back to its original celebration on November 11 (with the exceptions described above). Since this change, there has been a trend against being closed on the holiday. It began with businesses (excluding banks) and in recent years some schools and local governments have also chosen to remain open.[citation needed]

Wow. I did not know all of this. We need to take more time to respect our brave soldiers and veterans. We should respect them, love them, and honor them. We should really celebrate the day set aside for veterans by encouraging our children to write a soldier. Or maybe send a soldier some candy or a gift created by the child.

Please accept my sincere apology for getting the holidays mixed-up. Would it help if you knew that I do not watch much TV?
I get my news from the internet. I read and research from the net. The TV is no good. I call it a vast waste land.

Be that as it may, my lack of knowledge was clearly displayed. It just reminds me that ignorance does not discriminate.

Have a great day, and tell a soldier you love him or her for protecting our country.

L. for Love

Who is Christopher Columbus?-Day 73

Happy Wednesday and may you have a wonderful day. Happy Columbus day.

This is Columbus day. Today the children are out of school. Government and most businesses are closed in acknowledgment of Christopher Columbus. But do we really know who this man is. Do we know how he contributed to American history? Ord do we just take this day and "celebrate" by just having a day off?

Who is Christopher Columbus? According to Wikipedia:

"Christopher Columbus (c. 1451 – 20 May 1506) was a navigator, colonizer and explorer whose voyages across the Atlantic Ocean led to general European awareness of the American continents in the Western Hemisphere. With his four voyages of exploration and several attempts at establishing a settlement on the island of Hispaniola, all funded by Isabella I of Castile, he initiated the process of Spanish colonization which foreshadowed general European colonization of the "New World."
Although not the first to reach the Americas from Europe—he was preceded by at least one other group, the Norse, led by Leif Ericson, who built a temporary settlement 500 years earlier at L'Anse aux Meadows[1]— Columbus initiated widespread contact between Europeans and indigenous Americans.
The term "pre-Columbian" is usually used to refer to the peoples and cultures of the Americas before the arrival of Columbus and his European successors.
Even though the general belief during the 20th century was that he was born in Genoa, there are other theories. Recent studies have indicated that Columbus may have been Catalan[2], though these theories have found little support amongst historians and linguists.[3] The name Christopher Columbus is the Anglicisation of the Latin Christophorus Columbus. The original name in 15th century Genoese language was Christoffa[4] Corombo[5] (pronounced [kriˈʃtɔffa kuˈɹuŋbu]) The name is rendered in modern Italian as Cristoforo Colombo, in Portuguese as Cristóvão Colombo (formerly Christovam Colom), in Catalan as Cristòfor Colom and in Spanish as Cristóbal Colón.
Columbus's initial 1492 voyage came at a critical time of growing national imperialism and economic competition between developing nation states seeking wealth from the establishment of trade routes and colonies. In this sociopolitical climate, Columbus's far-fetched scheme won the attention of Isabella I of Castile. Severely underestimating the circumference of the Earth, he estimated that a westward route from Iberia to the Indies would be shorter than the overland trade route through Arabia. If true, this would allow Spain entry into the lucrative spice trade — heretofore commanded by the Arabs and Italians. Following his plotted course, he instead landed within the Bahamas Archipelago at a locale he named San Salvador. Mistaking the North-American island for the East-Asian mainland, he referred to its inhabitants as "Indios"."


Why do we celebrate Christopher Columbus? According to Wikipedia:

Although among non-Native Americans Christopher Columbus is traditionally considered the discoverer of America, Columbus was preceded by the various cultures and civilizations of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, as well as the Western world's Vikings at L'Anse aux Meadows. He is regarded more accurately as the person who brought the Americas into the forefront of Western attention. "Columbus' claim to fame isn't that he got there first," explains historian Martin Dugard, "it's that he stayed."[44] The popular idea that he was first person to envision a rounded earth is false. The rounded shape of the earth has already been known in ancient times. Jeffrey Russell states that the modern view that people of the Middle Ages believed that the Earth was flat is said to have entered the popular imagination in the 19th century, thanks largely to the publication of Washington Irving's fantasy The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus in 1828.[45] By Columbus's time, educated men were in agreement as to its spherical shape, even if many people believed otherwise. More contentious was the size of the earth, and whether it was possible in practical terms to cross such a vast body of water: the longest any ship (European or otherwise) had gone without making landfall did not much exceed 30 days when Columbus embarked on his first audacious voyage lasting 36 days across the Atlantic Ocean (from the Canari Islands).
(emphasis added)

So it is important to know why days are celebrated and the history behind the names. Not just knowing that the "day" is one that is "taken off" or that government offices and many businesses are closed. We need to know why. Why need to be informed as to knowledge behind the name. Remember, as I have mentioned too many times to repeat, knowledge is power. Be informed, not just going along because everyone else is. Stand out from the crowd.

Most important be the best you can be, and always hep others. Why? Because someone helped you. Remember?

This is why we celebrate "Christopher Columbus" because he helped to discover America. Know the facts.

Have a great day,


L. for Love

Time for "Creativity"-Day 72

Happy Monday. I hope you had a wonderful weekend. If not, may your work be sunny and bright. This is a new day, which means the opportunity for newness. We can make of this day, what we want it to be. I choose happiness and I choose peace.

But I also choose something else. I choose to be creative. What is creative you may wonder.

Create-to cause to come into being, as something unique that would not naturally evolve or that is not made by ordinary processes.

Creativity-the state or quality of being creative.

Our economy, excuse my expression, "sucks". Many people are losing and have lost their jobs. Businesses are losing money by the day. It is time to turn to our creativity. We need to create something different. Do business different in order to set ourselves apart from the pack.

I created what I call R.A.C. I am unsure how much I should elaborate. I do have a patent pending. However, I need investors.

I am also tutoring children for "extra income". I am a Reading Specialist. I am an expert at reading skills and assisting in acquiring them. I can take a children and or children who are illiterate and turn them into the most literate and to the top of their class.

However, be understand that I am NOT interested in being a public school teacher. I want to be able to use my creativeness. I do not want to be stifled. I want to help and use my creativeness.

I want children to dream again. I tell my daughter that she is a very good writer, and that she should use her creativity to write a children's book. Our children have an abundance of creativity but it needs to be "let out of the bottle".

What do you dream of creating? Do you dream?

Have a wonderful work week?

L. for Love

The Mis-Education of America's Children-Day 71

Happy Saturday, and may your day be the best day ever. May you have love and peace.

Yesterday, my daughter and I spent the day reading at Barnes and Noble. After our day reading, I had to tutor a couple of children. I went to their mother's "Hair Salon", in the back room. When the children came in (two girls), I first inquired about their school week. I asked them to tell me about their school week.

The fourth grader told me that she "had a terrible and horrible" school week, and she "was glad that it was over". I was shocked to receive such a horrid response from such a young person. I asked her what was the problem.

She responded that the kids in her class "hate her and always talking about me." I asked her to elaborate and she told me that the children in her class make fun of her clothes, and tell her that she is stupid and ugly.

She went on to tell me that she "hates" her classmates. I asked her why would the students laugh at her clothes or call her names. She told me that this is what she deals with on a daily basis. Then I asked the million dollar question.

Are these children in your class black, white or Hispanic? Her response was disappointing but NOT surprising. She told me that the majority of her classmates are "white" but the children that "talk about her" are the Black children.

Well again, as I mentioned earlier, I was not surprised.

In America, it is as though you are nobody unless you wear the "latest" name brands, carry the "fly" purses and/or hang with the "it" crowd. What?

Let me ask YOU a question. Why do our children have to wear "fancy clothes", have their hair in long weaves,wigs, or hang out with the "it" crowd to have some peace in school? What ever happened to going to school "clean and neat" and working hard to earn the best grades?

Our priorities are "screwed" up. Many American Corporations are advertising to our children that they must wear these "fancy clothes" so they can fill their coffers with consistent cash. They know that our children's minds are impressionable and they use their ability to manipulate them into believing that they are "nobody" if they do not dress a certain way.

This is the mis-education of America's children. Even most adults feel that they must have "the name brands". One day I was walking into a store, and a lady approached me and asked "what label is on your dress?" "It is beautiful."

I smiled and graciously told her "thank you", but I had no idea whose name is on the label. I do not purchase clothes because of the name on a label. I purchase because I like them and for "cost efficiency". Mostly the latter.

Many times my daughter and I will go to "second hand" shops. (oops I was not suppose to share this with you) LOL. I realize that my daughter is still growing, so what sense does it make to spend $100 on an outfit for her when I can spend $10.00, and she can put the money we save in her savings account or we can pay bills?

Our priorities our wrong in America. Clothes do not make the person. What is between the ears and inside the chest cavity are so much more important.(The brain and heart). Teach our children to love one another NOT disregard eachother because of their outer appearances.


Have a loving day,

L. for Love

Glenn Beck is NOT a Racist-Day 70

Happy Thursday. When I walked into the computer lab, I said those very words to the only two people in the room. The response was pretty typical. "Thank you but I will be glad when you can say happy Friday." I smiled and responded "you should be glad to be alive today, and I want you to have a wonderful day""today".

This "gentleman" told me that he appreciated the thought.

This was a typical response to my daily greeting. I usually want to put smiles on people faces by wishing them a wonderful day. We all have our "personal problems" that we must contend with. However, a nice smile or "kind gesture" from a stranger can be a positive way to start our day.

Moreover, today I want to discuss Glenn Beck. Mr. Beck is a popular conservative radio and television host. According to Wiki, "Glenn Lee Beck (born February 10, 1964) is an American talk radio and television host, conservative political commentator, author, and entrepreneur. He hosts the nationally syndicated Glenn Beck Program on Premiere Radio Networks, while also hosting the Glenn Beck Show every weekday on the Fox News Channel. He has become a well-known and polarizing public figure, whose provocative views have afforded him media recognition and popularity, along with controversy and criticism."(Wiki)

"Beck says of his political views, "I consider myself a libertarian. I'm a conservative, but every day that goes by I'm fighting for individual rights." Among his core values Beck lists personal responsibility, private charity, right to life, freedom of religion, low debt, limited government, and family as the cornerstone of society."

"Beck supports individual gun ownership rights and is against gun control legislation. He has suggested that President Barack Obama's health care reform agenda is a means by which Obama can effect reparations for slavery. Beck believes that there is a lack of evidence that human activity is the main cause of global warming, views the American Clean Energy and Security Act as a form of wealth redistribution, and has promoted a petition rejecting the Kyoto Protocol."(Wikipedia)

While I do not agree with every political position of Mr. Beck, he is Not a racist.

Racist-somebody who hates others who are not of his or her own race;Racism is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.[1] In the case of institutional racism, certain racial groups may be denied rights or benefits, or get preferential treatment.

Mr. Beck, like anyone else has the right to his personal views. Moreover, I like to share with you the first time that I heard him on the radio. It was about a year ago, and I heard this voice speaking about politics in America. He made alot of sense, as he seriously peaked my interest. I thought he was very intelligent. Albeit, I did not agree with his every word. I did agree with most.

I started listening to him daily. I really enjoyed his intellectual dialogues and certain opinions.

It is important to point out that engaging in an "intellectual debate" is good. We do not have to agree with every position of another person's. (Remember yesterday's topic?) This is what makes America great. We have the right to have difference opinions. It is about being able to intelligently articulate your opinion to the point where you can convince others that your opinion is right.

Now when Mr. Beck called President Obama "a racist", I completely disagreed with him, and I challenge his opinion. I refuse to call Mr. Beck a racist just because his opinion is different than mine. Infact, I would like to have Mr. Beck publically debate Keith Oberman, and let America be the judge.

Tell me what do you think.

Have a great day.


L for Love

Would You "Like" Me When I Disagree With YOU? Day 69

Happy "hump day". May your day be as bright as the sun and as shiny as a pairs of shoes that were recently polished.

I would like to pose a question to you. Do I have to agree with you in order for you to "like" me? Do I have to pretend that you are right in order to win your approval and be your friend?

Well I should hope not. I believe that we can agree to disagree. This is the way true friends conduct themselves.

One day while I was listening to "The Tom Joyner Morning Show", I heard a caller voicing his opinion about something. Tom Joyner is a Black radio disjockey. He show is very popular with middle age Black people. He plays mostly old school music and he show is primarily comical.

Anyway, this "caller" disagreed with Mr. Joyner on an issue. Mr. Joyner voiced his disapproval of this caller disagreeing with him. It was almost like the caller should not disagree with Mr. Joyner if he was a "loyal listener".

My "jaws" dropped to the floor. (not literally) But I could not believ what I had heard. So let me get this straight, if you are a loyal listener, you have to agree with every position Mr. Joyner makes. You can not disgree with him?

Let look at what happened to Bill Cosby, when he said many Black males are irresponsible and they need to take responsibility for their children.

Mr. Cosby was ridiculed and called an "uncle Tom", for his remarks. An "uncle Tom" is "a black man considered by other blacks to be subservient to or to curry favor with whites."( Dictionary.com)

Now why is it that when you speak the "truth" about Black males, you have to be an "uncle Tom"? Why can't we be loyal Black people who are identifying problems that need to be openly discussed?

So I ask you, would you like me if I disgreed with you? If not, then you will not like me because, I will tell you the truth, and I believe as time goes on you may eventually LOVE me. Because, the truth is what we need to hear and act upon.

We need to be honest with one another. I encourage my daughter to tell me what is on her heart and mind, even if I do not like it or disagree with her. I do not want her to feel that in order for us to have a dialogue, she has to agree with me or tell me what I want to hear.

Would you like to know the TRUTH or a LIE?

Have a great day.

L. for Love

The Power of "Change"-Day 68

Good morning, and have a great and properous day.

I thought of the topic today because I know that there are somethings that I need to change about myself.

I was having a conversation with someone the other day, and he mentioned that when you get a certain age, you are too old to change. I disgreed with him. I told him that I think someone can change anytime as long as he or she has breathe in their body. Change is always possible.

Change-to make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of (something) different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone: to transform or convert.

It is important for each of us first to realize that we can change anything that we are not satisfied with. But change begins with me and with you. It begins with making up our minds that we wants to change then taking the necessary steps and/or action to make change a reality.

I want to change the way I look at things. Sometimes I do not have much patience. I see the world as if everyone thinks the way I think. Sometimes I fail to empathize.

I know I need to change this way of thinking and be more understanding, but it is a challenge for me. I know that I must change if I am to continue to homeschool my daughter. I need to show more love even when I get angry with her. In fact, this is the time that I need to display more love. But sometimes I display more anger and I know that this is not good.

So where do I go from here? I know that I can and will change. I have identified my problem, and I will take the necessary steps to bring the change to fruition. I must work on patience. I must work to change.

Change waits for no one. If you want to change, YOU must do what it takes to CHANGE.

I choose to better myself. I choose to change. Is there anything that YOU need to change?

Have a wonderful day.

L. for Love

The Truth Factor-Day 67

Good morning, and happy Monday. I hope you have a marvelous day.

This past weekend, my daughter and I went to the bookstore. We love going to the bookstore. It gives us an opportunity to have some quiet time reading in an enviroment conducive to "learning and growing". There are so many books until sometimes it is difficult to make a selection.

Moreover, something my daughter and I discussed was truthfulness. We discussed this principle because I had told her that we would monitor our diets more throughly and we went to Chilis restaurant Thursday, and Friday. Although we did not eat alot of junk, we munched on chips and dip.

My daughter asked me a simple but poignant question. "Mommy did you tell me the truth when you said that we were going to "monitor" our diets.?"

I was surprised and happy simultaneously. I was surprised that my daughter was taking careful mental notes of our conversations and I was happy that she cared.

I explained to my daughter, starting with the simple premise that she had an "excellent" question. Then I went to explain to her that we were carefully monitoring our diets. We did not eat the "junk foods". In stead, we had munched on "chips and dip". But my daughter made a startling reminder. She reminded me that the "chips" are "fattening".

I agreed with her, as we did eat an entire basket of them. (They were good:))

But did I tell my daughter the truth when I told her that we would eat responsibly"

I told my daughter that she was right, and I was wrong. "Chips" in whatever form are fattening, if you eat too many of them. I told her that I appreciated her question and that if more children asked questions, they would get answers.

Answers are always NOT what we may want to hear but we need to hear the "truth".

Truth-the true or actual state of a matter:a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle, or the like.

The indisputable fact is that "the truth will set you FREE." No more "basket of chips for us.(At least, we will not eat them all):)

Have a great and truthful day.

L. for Love