Good Hair?

Chris Rock is blogging his new documentary on Oprah.  Good Hair opens this month.

Lazy Day or Things to do When You are Bored, Part ll

Yesterday I lounged around and tried to catch up on some surfing. Here are some goodies I have been wanting to explore, but did not find time until yesterday.

Vai Avanti

Online kailedoscope

I spent at least 20 minutes on the Geek Hierarchy

Modern Living

The Age Project

Card Toss

How To: Just Bubble It

Banned Books Wordle

www.wordle.net


Interactive Map of Banned and Challenged Books

Know, Speak, Read: Those Damned Penguins!

Today is the first day of Banned Books Week. It lasts until October 3. I am recommending one of my favorite books:  And Tango Makes Three

Most Commonly Challenged Books Since 1900

American Library Association

My Friends

My friend Donna shared this with me. I then, shared with others. My friend Avery loves this. Grandpa Elliot and Washboard Chaz

Kids Eat Free: Recession Challemge

Eating Free in Houston

Reach out and touch faith

Reach out and touch faith
Your own Personal Jesus
Someone to hear your prayers
Someone who cares
Your own Personal Jesus
Someone to hear your prayers
Someone who's there

Feeling's unknown and you're all alone
Flesh and bone by the telephone
Lift up the receiver
I'll make you believer

Take second best
Put me to the test
Things on your shest
You need to confess
I will deliver
You know I'm a forgiver
Reach out and touch faith

Your own Personal Jesus
Feeling's unknown and you're all alone
Flesh and bone by the telephone
Lift up the receiver
I'll make you believer
I will deliver
You know I'm a forgiver
Reach out and touch faith
Your own Personal Jesus
Reach out and touch faith

The End of One Long Cold Summer!

Corazon Aquino
Aage Neils Bohr
David Carradine
Walter Cronkite
Dom DeLuise
Dominick Dunne
Farrah Fawcett
E. Lynn Harris
Don Hewitt
John Hughes
Reverend Ike
Gidget
Michael Jackson
Theadore Kennedy
Huey Long
Frank McCourt
Ed McMahon
Steve McNair
Karl Malden
Billy Mays
Robert Novak
Les Paul
Naomi Sims
Nancy Talbot
Eunice Kennedy Shriver
Patrick Swayze
Mollie Sudgen
Mary Travers

Houston in 1981

Today I shall start Attica Locke's Black Water Rising. The NPR interviewwas on last week.

Last Night's Party

It was a lot like this.

"There's always free cheddar in a mousetrap"

Put Your Horns Up!

Post your longhorn photo.

Internet Overdose

How-To: Geek Chart

Track where you share information. Geek Chart can tell you.


Hannahdrewdash's Geek Chart

In Honor of My Mother

My mother ran a beauty salon for over 37 years with the main purpose of creating the illusion of "good hair". When I first saw the trailer for the Chris Rock documentary, Good Hair in the theatre, I was immediately reminded of my mother and her salon. I have been awaiting the arrival of this movie in theatres. Register and read the NY Times article, here. Today is my mother's birthday. Happy Birthday Mom!

India Arie Akon Not my hair- Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

..and It Was Still Good: Bead for Life

Millie lives on $1 a day earned from crushing rocks in a quarry, and she has asthma. This is enough for one meal a day for her whole family. She lives in a 4ft. x 7ft. hut with her six children, two of which are AIDS orphans she has adopted. They have no water, no electricity, and no possessions. It is so small that one person is appointed to say when everyone should roll over at night. At least, that was how Millie was living. Now she has a small house of her own, financed by a brick-making business she runs. All this was made possible because she learned how to roll beads out of strips of recycled paper.

We have been deeply moved by the work of two friends of ours who went to Uganda, Africa. Dr. Charles was there to teach the local doctors how to use AIDS medicines. But before they left the US, he, his wife Torkin, daughter Devin, and friend Ginny sat together in prayer. “We said we were tired of talking about how hard the world is, and asked for something to do. This very clear intention was voiced within the context of prayer and sacred commitment,” Torkin told us. “We never dreamt it would be through paper beads!”

A few months later, Ginny and Devin joined Charles and Torkin in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. On a chance encounter in a Kampala slum, on their way to visit an AIDS patient, the women met Millie who was rolling paper beads but who told them that she had no market to sell them. They bought a few of her necklaces and, as they wore them, found that many people admired and wanted them. “So we went back to find this woman and discovered a group of her friends who also made beads. We bought about a 100 necklaces. We came back to the US for the summer and began to sell them to friends and at craft fairs.”

The beads began to generate interest, including a magazine article. Torkin and Ginny realized there was a market, but that most importantly it was about the story and the heartfelt desire to help those in need. One man, who loved the beads so much and wanted to give to the beaders, offered $200 for a necklace that was on sale for $20.

By September 2004 Torkin had returned to Africa and BeadForLife was born.

The women who become beaders all live in slums in Kampala. Many of them are HIV positive, malaria is rampant, and nearly all are raising, alongside their own children, other children they have adopted from some of the 1.4 million AIDS orphans in Uganda. At least 95% of the beaders are women and 40% are refugees, living as Millie did in huts with just enough room for them to lie down. All have multiple life challenges. As Torkin says, “It was very humbling to work with these people who struggle so deeply yet also know how to lift themselves up, to laugh, sing and have joy. In a song they wrote there is one line that remains in my heart: ‘We dance while we are suffering.’”

A beader who joins the BeadForLife program gets paid twice a month for their beads and they have to open a savings account. The program is 27 months long and the beaders all receive health care, optional family planning, and business training. By month 20, BeadForLife tops up their savings to $800, enough so that each one can begin their own business to support themselves after the bead-making program has finished. One woman, who used to wash prostitutes’ clothes in a nightclub, now owns a nightclub; there are restaurants, chicken farms, dry good stores, and clothing stores, all begun this way.

Beads can be bought online, but because of the power of the beaders stories, most beads are sold through BeadParties hosted in people’s own homes. This is how everyone can help. The host is sent a whole package of information with stories of the beaders, as well as African recipes, and 300 bead necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Many times two or three women do this together and it is really fun. There were 2000 bead parties last year; that is six or seven parties a day. And most importantly, the beads are beautiful — vibrant colors and different shapes and strings. The prices are low, $5 to $30 per item, so that everyone can afford to buy at least one item. Those dollars are immediately turned into income and food, medicine, school fees, and the hope that keeps them moving out of poverty.

BeadForLife has also been featured in Oprah’s ‘O’ Magazine and on NBC, with an overwhelming response. Get all the details at: www.BeadForLife.org

Let us hear from you. Do share with us your stories of getting out of poverty.
Getting Out of Poverty

Anchovies on Pizza

I am interested in hearing your opinion, but know that you will NOT change MY mind.

1. Russell Brand
2. Breeding Pit Bulls
3. "Nigga"
4. Janeane Garafalo
5. Freedom to Read
6. "Conversate"
7. Elizabeth Hassleback
8. Bill & Hillary
9. Sagging Pants
10. Vivisection
11. Israel
12. Michael Jackson
13. Jane Fonda
14. Stem Cell Research
15. Baby Beauty Pageants
16. Noni Juice
17. Nietzsche
18. "Bitch"
19. Global Warming
20. Sarah Palin


Want more ? go to Procon.org

Remembering Frank Nelson

May 6,1911- September 12,1986

What Keeps You Satisified?

The First Lady: My Fashion Doppelganger

This post from Mrs. O speaks to me. Even though, I have been told numerous times that I look like Michelle Obama, I feel that I identify in fashion, style, and balance with Grace Coolidge.

Beatles Rock Band!!!!

My wish list! Cannot get it today because I am home ill.

Presidents Adress School Students

From Twitter author Midtownhouston "PolitiFact Barack Obama is not the first president to address school children. - Read

Transcript of President Obama's September 8 speech

Bollywood Blast

Last night at Miller Outdoor Theatre

He Found Bono Hanging Around Walmart

I found him there and Kid Rock, too!

Photo

Belated Follow Friday

Recommended Twitter authors:

Petparentauthor

Keepaustinwierd

Stevenbjohnson

GrammarGirl

Love Quote

Love the whole world as a mother loves her only child.- Buddah

Recommended Reading

A Question of Freedom by Dwayne Betts

Collyer Brothers at Everything2

Collyer Brothers at Wikipedia

The Longhorn Gets the Bird

Recession Challenge for September
1. H.E.B. has seedless grapes 77 cents per pound.
2. Open source software.
3. Personal challenge: 34 days withour sweets. For me, that is more than a dollar a day!
4. Visit Chick Fil a Labor Day from 10:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., wear your favorite sports team shirt and receive a free chicken sandwhich.

Starbucks

Everywhere