Hey Michael Jordan! Happy Birthday to the Greatest Player in NBA history

Today, February 17th, marks the 26th anniversary of Michael Jordan's 21st birthday--that makes him 47 years old, fine as frog's hair, and still getting paid as a result of an outstanding basketball career and business saavy.
Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player that has ever played the game--in my book. I'd never heard of him while he was a college baller, but I remember when I first saw him play as a rookie Chicago Bull, I said to myself, "Self, he's got the longest tongue I've ever seen." I'll bet quite a few women thought that...
And he never missed an opportunity to let folks see it hanging out as he sailed through the air over opponents and slammed backboards left and right. In fact, most of the action shots and posters show him gliding through the air--tongue hanging out with an air of victory boldly displayed in his body language and on his face. I like Michael Jordan cuz he laughed alot while he played and it was obvious that he loved the game of basketball.

I am impressed with everything about Michael Jordan's sports career, including the fact that he went to play professional baseball mid-career, and that he is currently attempting to purchase the Charlotte Bobcats basketball franchise.

There is a site called, The Evolution of Michael Jordan and there I found a list of
"10 things I bet you didn't know about Michael Jordan"
1.) He won 6 championships in his basketball career.
2.) He was 5 times voted regular season Most Valuable Player
3.) His career scoring average is 30.1
4.) He played in 172 games and scored more than 40 points in each
5.) He scored 50 or more points in 39 games
6.) He earned 10 scoring titles
7.) He retired 3 times
8.) He was awarded 2 Olympic Gold medals
9.) He scored 32,292 regular season points
10) He is listed as #1 of the 50 Greatest players in NBA history
Will there ever be another NBA player as great as Michael Jordan? No.

Haitian-American Utah's 1st Black Woman Mayor

While taxes, growth and quality of life were issues in Saratoga,
Utah's 2009 mayoral campaign, Mia B. Love's race was not. Nor is it with her.
The 33 year old wife and mother of three was recently sworn in as mayor--the first Black woman to do so in Utah's history.
She volunteers in her children's school and serves as legislative vice president in the PTA, as well as having served on the City Council for the past six years. Love explains that her family, Haitian immigrants who settled in Connecticut, instilled in her the need to give back to the community.

The 33-year-old Republican mayor has gone on record as saying she's never experienced racism while living in Utah, first in Salt Lake County, then in American Fork before moving to Saratoga Springs in 2001. Love's husband, Jason is Caucasian. Mayor Love and her family are Mormon.

"It is a physical feature," Love said, sitting in the dining room of her home in the Sunrise Meadows neighborhood. "I am proud to be a member of this community."

As a native of the great State of Illinois aka "Land of Lincoln," it was very apparent on the anniversary of what would have been his 201st birthday that Georgians as a group do not celebrate President Lincoln or his legacy. As I shopped for groceries , walking all through the supermarket and in other retail outlets in Covington, Georgia not one person that I encountered wished me a Happy Lincoln's birthday. I was simply appalled.
The 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln's birthday was marked on Friday, February 12th by an aggressive snowfall over Georgia. There were no parties, galas or even barbeques scheduled, although the schools in Newton County were closed, not in honor of President Lincoln, but because the snow was coming.
Although I've only lived in Georgia for one year, I have yet to run across a park or a street named 'Lincoln'.

In lieu of our nation's difficult times, President Obama is calling us to be like Lincoln in working together across party lines.
" If we are going to get through this tough economic time, we are going to have to do it as one nation, as one people,"President Obama is quoted as saying.

Like Lincoln during the Civil War, Obama understands what it is like to be a president elected that many Americans do not agree with. I never really agreed with Bush on many of his conservative views. I didn't vote for President George W. Bush, but I never wanted to see him fail and drag our country down with him. I do not dislike the Republicans--even though they totally disrespected President Obama as a group during the State of the Union Address.
Obama supporters do not continue to harp on the fact that President Obama inherited this mess our country is in under the immediate past Bush administration. Can we come together as Americans and support our President--the people's choice for leadership?

Happy 201st Birthday Mr.President!

My friend, journalist Stephanie Gadlin and several FB friends posted this pic of President Lincoln and the following quote that is attributed to him prior to his signing the Emancipation Proclamation which freed Southern slaves on January 1, 1865. There were many comments blasting President Lincoln for the many statements made prior to him drafting this document. I love and applaud President Lincoln because even though he was relunctant to do the right thing for the right reason--good came out of it and I was born in Chicago, Illinois--a free child. Had history been different, I shudder to think of what my experiences could have been.
Happy Birthday Mr. President! Rest in Peace.

HONEST ABE DAY: "I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in anyway the social and political equality of the white and black races - that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race. I say upon this occasion I do not perceive that because the white man is to have the superior position the negro should be denied everything."

Lady Gaga & Cyndi Lauper new Voices for MAC Viva Glam Lipstick to Support HIV Initiative

Pop divas Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper are the faces of From Our Lips, which is M·A·C Cosmetics’ Viva Glam campaign honoring women living with HIV/AIDS and those working to prevent new infections. All proceeds from sales of Viva Glam Cyndi (a light coral red lipstick) and Viva Glam Gaga (a light blue-pink lipstick) will benefit the M·A·C AIDS Fund. To date, the fund has raised more than $150 million to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS and improve the lives of HIV-positive people worldwide.

“I’ve been familiar with the campaign and have been wearing M·A·C since I was 10 years old,” Gaga said in a statement. “To be joining the likes of iconic former Viva Glam spokespeople is an honor. My new Viva Glam lipstick color is amazing. It’s very me—a bluish pink, great for everyday, a little bit ’80s. I hope that women buy this lipstick, and honor themselves and honor the cause.”
In conjunction with the launch of From Our Lips, the M·A·C AIDS Fund released data from nationwide surveys on women and HIV. According to the M·A·C survey results, nearly three in five American women (55 percent) say they’ve never been tested for HIV, and 78 percent say they’ve had sexual intercourse without a condom. In addition, the average woman was last tested for HIV three years ago, compared to two years for the average man.

Princess Zulu: Sentenced to Death

Twelve years ago when Dr Tembo gave me the news that I was HIV positive, he gave me only six months to live. While Time magazine’s Man of the Year—Dr. David Ho—had created a cocktail of drugs that could suppress HIV, it would be years before treatment made its way to the poor hospital in Luanshya, Zambia where I lived.

Even five years later, only eight thousand people in Africa had access to these drugs—but millions had died. At the time, few people knew or admitted what had claimed their lives. We called the disease “Slim” or “Kalawe Noko,” which means ‘go and say goodbye to your mother.’ It had no respect of person—it took the young and the strong, leaving behind the weak and the frail.

Proudly today, I have witnessed a great increase in the number of people accessing treatment. Given the “perfect storm” of conditions that allowed AIDS to march across Africa, the fact that the tide is now turning is both remarkable and inspirational. Millions of deaths have been averted. Children can now sleep at night with their parents watching over them.

But I caution to add—our task is far from over. In 2008, for every two people who started taking antiretroviral drugs, another five become newly infected. Access to treatment is a long way from being universal.

We need to maintain the pressure on our elected leaders, our places of worship and our broader communities to march forward.

Twelve years ago, I was given six months to live. I am still fighting, and God willing, I will continue to do so. I will continue to fight until all who require treatment, regardless of where we were born and how we contracted the virus, have access not only to HIV/AIDS treatment, but to all health services. That to me is universal access—and that is a basic human right.

-Princess Kasune Zulu

Ignorance is No Excuse for lack of Cross-Cultural Mission Training

Haitian Judge Bernard Saint Vil made his recommendation a day after questioning the detained Americans, most from an Idaho Baptist group, were charged last week with child kidnapping and criminal association after being arrested Jan. 29 while trying to take 33 children, ages 2 to 12, across the border to an orphanage they were trying to set up in the Dominican Republic.
Group leader Laura Silsby of Meridian, Idaho, explained that the children were obtained either from orphanages or from distant relatives. She said only children who were found not to have living parents or relatives who could care for them might be put up for adoption. However, at least 20 of the children are from a single village and have living parents. Some of the parents explained that they willingly turned over their children to the missionaries on the promise the Americans would educate them and let relatives visit.
This incident would have been less likely to occur had this group been properly trained prior to stepping their foot onto a plane and flying to Haiti. Church missions groups have hearts of gold and good intentions, but cross-cultural training is needed prior to engaging in humanitarian relief in other countries. Upon arrival, the group needed to have been once again briefed on acceptable practice. This group is in jail because left to their own devices Americans will always sidestep what they view as 'red tape' or 'hassle'. In many countries avoiding proper parctice is against the law--apparently in Haiti it an offense serious enough for jail time.

John Mayer's Playboy Interview...A Lesson in Getting Too Comfortable

John, John, John! What were you thinking, John? Did you forget the first rule of dealing with reporters? The rule that states that anything you say can and will be held against you in a publication? Did you forget you held a 'trump' card that's called 'off the record'?
John, I like you, John. So I'm gonna try to explain this as gently as possible using this example: Just because you stand in a garage doesn't make you a car; and just because you love Jazz and the Blues doen't give you license to use the N-word in an interview to be published in an international publication. Again I ask, what were you thinkn?
Because I like your music so much I find it hard to absorb some of the info you gave during the interview--namely describing the sexual prowess of your ex-lovers. At the time it may have seemed like a great idea discussing them as though they were simply sex toys and as though they were not daughters and sisters and nieces and cousins. Did you forget about how their families may have felt about this info leaking out? Did you consider how this could embarrass your own family?
John, John, John--You definitely need to go back to media training and next time you feel like u want to be cozy and familiar with a journalist--make sure it's one that you have alerted that some comments are "off the record". And for goodness sake, stay alert and don't get too comfortable. haven't you heard that "loose lips sink ships?"

Is Sarah Palin an "Effen" Retard?

Sarah Palin's address at the Tea Party convention in Nashville vividly demonstrates why this woman is unlikely to ever become president of the United States: she's too forgetful-she writes notes to herself in the palm of her hand. When we did this in school it was considered a form of cheating. Is Sarah Palin an effen retard? The woman is paid $100K per speech and she writes her notes in her hand? Give me a break! She is getting publicity and attention that should be saved for someone who has something significant to say or a real author, and not an attention seeking former beauty queen with a ghostwritten book and too much time on her hands.

Happy Birthday, Robert Towsend...

In my ever-changing, hectic life as the next Pulitzer Prize winning news journalist from Chicago now residing in Georgia, I sometimes get so bogged down that I forget stuff I really want to remember. For example--birthdays. If I get up early enough and I'm not having hot flashes or some other kinda 'senior moment', I can remember when people I love are born.
Yesterday, February 8th was Robert Townsend's 53rd birthday!
Robert is one of the funniest comedians, one of the most dynamic actors, one of the most talented directors and writers and just an all around great guy. Please take a moment to check out his website. He's got clips on his newest project--The History of Black Comedy: Why We Laugh.
http://www.roberttownsend.com/home.html Also, did I happen to mention that he is from Chicago's West Side although he resides in L.A. (I ain't mad atcha, I hate snow, too) lol.
Hey Robert, I hope your birthday was just like you are--da bomb!

President Obama Addresses the Power of Prayer

"While prayer can stiffen our spines to surmount an obstacle...prayer can also do something else. It can touch our hearts with humility. It can fill us with a spirit of brotherhood. It can remind us that each of us are children of an awesome and living GOD."
-- President Barack H. Obama
Thursday, February 4, 2010
National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C.

Caressa Cameron--Miss Virginia Crowned Miss America in Las Vegas

Congratulations are in order for Caressa Cameron, a 22 year old from Fredericksburg, VA who was crowned the 2010 Miss America pageant winner. Miss Cameron is a Communications major who aspires to become a newscaster.