The American Dollar: Is is Even Worth the Paper It's Printed On?

As part of my 15-year old daughter's summer experience, she is busy traipsing around Sydney, Australia hanging out with everything from the locals to kangaroos for the historic bi-annual World Youth Day. This historic pilgrimage has drawn over 200,000 people from around the globe on the quest for spiritual inspiration, fellowship and a blessing from Pope Benedict XVI.

In her travels and through her e-mail communication, my child has had to deal with the harsh reality of just how little the American dollar is valued right now. She shares how $60 American dollars plus $30 New Zealand dollars only netted her $67 Australian dollars, while a Big Mac Value meal at the local Mickie D's (aka McDonald's) can set you back $12 American dollars.

I can't help but think that to the rest of the world America is having a fire sale. It seems as everything from real estate to banks must go. These can be scary times.

Internet access down under is even limited to the tune of $6 an hour for usage.

I can only pray this economic raping and pillaging of our country will end soon. At the very least, I pray our nation's strength in holding on for what promises to be a bumpy ride.

No Sex In The City #6: Co-signing On Faith, Arrested Development & Tiger Balm

God Clearly Spends His Summers In Los Angeles

By Cousin Kim

Most people have favorite songs, favorite foods, or favorite television shows. I have favorite words. "Ambiance" is one of them. I like to pronounce it with a french accent lingering over the 'm' and 'n' sounds. Yet, there is one word that trumps ambiance every time. Free! Say it with me now, freeeeeeeeee!

Thursday night the Twilight Dance Series at Southern California's Santa Monica Pier featured some amazing performances for freeeeee.

Amidst the smells of kettle corn and pretzels, the Agape International Choir dressed in rainbow colors opened the show. During the choir's set, people around us complained that we were standing and they could not see from their seats in their lawn chairs.

Well, as Lisa said, "sometimes you've got to stand for the Lord." And stand we did as the choir let their light shine and the crowd praised Spirit with dance.

After a quick set change, Arrested Development took the stage. They flew in from Atlanta to perform hits from their 1992 release, 3 Years 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of... In only one hour Arrested Development "Fished for Religion", "Taught a man to fish", and took the crowd to "Tennessee."

They also played songs from their forthcoming album; their first release in about fourteen years. As DJ Machete X did a scratching interlude on the turntables, Deb exclaimed, "This summer has been a blast!"

After two hours of jumping on the pier's wood planks, I knew I'd have to break out that expired jar of Tiger Balm and rub some ointment on my knee when I got home. That, however, would have to wait as the unofficial, not to be missed afterparty was taking place.

The afterparty at Zanzibar was about to begin and I was hungry. With single girls in L.A. being the resouceful creatures we are, I found a fortune cookie in the glove box of my car and munched on it on the drive over. My fortune read, "Romance moves you in a new direction." I barely resisted the temptation to add the words "between the sheets" to the end of my fortune.

The Agape Choir were again in full force as were concert goers from the pier. The DJ spun world music from Africa, Brazil, and Latin America. As I danced to Latin music with a group of friends, everyone seemed to pair off until I was left to dance alone.

After a few moments, a tall willowy Latino man emerged from the crowd and began to lead me in a steamy salsa dance. He moved like a matador and I was temporarily his cape.

We danced for quite some time and I noticed that he knew all the words to the Spanish songs, while I knew all the words to Eric B and Rakim's Paid in Full.

Throughout my time at Zanzibar that night, I never stopped moving. After all, everyone knows that your feet don't hurt when you're dancing.

Two hours later, in addition to the two hours we'd already put in at the pier, the group consensus was that it was time to depart. C'mon, it was Thursday night and someone had to be up early for work the next day; not me, but someone.

So we said goodbye to our friends, formed a spontaneous conga line, and snaked through the crowd.

Pausing only to speak to our friend Vince who'd just arrived at midnight, I sealed the night with a kiss and partied out the front door toward that expired jar of Tiger Balm.

Ahhhh, to God be the glory!

IT'S SUMMERTIME, GIVE THAT BLACK SINGLE MOTHER A BREAK!

Growing up with a single mom is not only hairy for the kids, but is also takes a toll on mom's "needs."

My mom was old school. I never had one of her "friends" or dates kicking his feet up under our table at dinner. No midnight "booty calls" where mom told us kids, "Get back in bed, that doorbell ringing is not for you!" I never woke up in the morning with another man brushing his teeth in our bathroom, nor some dude sipping morning coffee and reading the paper at the breakfast nook.

My mom was not a cheap date either but rather, a reasonable one. She'd tell fellas, "You don't have to spend a lot of money on me. We can go get a burger, picnic at the beach, play two handed bridge (the card game) in the park. There's only one thing ya' gotta do... pay for the babysitter. If you can't do that, don't bother."

Mom obviously had needs. And when my brothers and I weren't going to church supported sleep-away camps, help just seemed to show up. One day "Aunt" Sadie would take us to the beach. Next it's "Aunt" Evelyn bowling with us. Then "Aunt" Alice would swoop us over to the museum. These trips were sprinkled throughout the summer.

Two weeks during the summer with grandparents in Virgina was the norm, with God-parents keeping us for two weeks at a time in Texas and Ohio. Many of these trips meant my mom driving down, dropping us off, and then coming back to pick us up usually with one of our "aunties" tagging along for the ride.

Now during those two week stints I have no idea if my mom dated, went out or what. But mom needed a break and friends and family stepped up. So if you have no kids or need a playmate to keep your only child busy ... step up. It's only a couple of weeks and hey, it's summertime!

We all have our "needs!"

SUMMER PART 1: THE WEATHER IS FINE ... BUT WHAT THE HELL TO DO WITH THESE KIDS

WHY- WHY- WHY, SHOULD WE KEEP THE KIDS BUSY?

The kids are out of school and they have the long lazy days of July and August ahead. They could spend their summer days in front of the TV or your children could be using their imaginations to create projects that are a reflection of their own unique talents.

Does it matter what kids do on their summer vacation? After all, they are in school 10 months of the year and most do take some art classes. Don’t they get enough art classes in school?

Creative and artistic are not the same thing. Creativity is an approach to life. Creative thinkers know that problems have many different solutions. When they encounter an obstacle, they find a way around rather than giving up. They have to be willing to take risks as they learn new skills. These are important life skills that need to be encouraged in children.

Summer activities, childrens crafts and science projects give children the opportunity to learn and practice these skills. Even if they follow a project guide exactly, they will still to make decisions about shades of colors and where to place items. Once they are familiar with the project, most children will want to make it again. That is when they get really creative. First the colors change, then the shapes, and suddenly it is a new project from their own imagination.

Creative projects encourage children to find the resources to make what they want, rather than opening up a box that has all the supplies in one place. The first project in the weekly project list (see below) uses an old knee-hi or pair of pantyhose. What if none are available? Should the children wait until someone else finds all the ‘right’ materials. No, have them start thinking about what they could substitute. Would an old sock work? How about a dish cloth? It is fun to sit back and watch children solve their own problems.

COMING LATER TODAY--- THE WHAT WHAT WHAT TO DO!
STAY TUNED AND CHECK BACK LATER TODAY!

SUMMER: A TIME TO CELEBRATE OUR CHILDREN

The images of Black children unfortunately are not as balanced in the mainstream media as they should be.

I will admit that I am grateful for the positive images of our children through such entities as Disney and NBC - with shows like That's So Raven and of course The Cosby Show and A Different World.

Yet, in our everyday reality, the negative images pertaining to our children in the news media still out-weigh the positive images of Black children I see everyday in my neighborhood and the school my child attends.

As they say in journalism, if it bleeds, it leads.

For more, click here.

Who Can Forget the Days of Summer Gone By?