Five Things that Renew My Faith in Humanity

I am deeply troubled by the lack of civility that has become commonplace in our culture. Television. Radio. Internet. There is no escape from the barrage of sarcasm, insults and crude negativity that now permeate our collective attitude about our fellow man. All is not lost.  I present you with five everyday happenings that renew my faith in humanity...

1. People who let you cut them in line in the supermarket because you have less items than they do.
2. People who wave their hand to say thank-you when they merge in front of you in traffic.
3. Watching a line of cars part like the Red Sea to allow an ambulance pass through in an emergency.
4. Encountering children, especially teenagers, who address adults as sir and maam.
5. Finding unexpired coupons on the shelf in the grocery store that were "paid forward" by another shopper who couldn't use them.

I'll have to keep thinking on this one and add to it as I go...

I am not my hair - the kiddy version

I am all about anything that honors black hair and acceptance of our natural beauty.  I just discovered this video today and thought it was cute.  It already has over 400,000 views on youtube. I would love to watch it with my nieces and see their reaction. Tomorrow I will show it to my sons and see if they have anything to say about it.

You Know it's Election Season When You Hear...

As the 2010 Midterm election draws near, I find myself growing ever more weary of hearing the same tired political cliches.  Here are a few of the most tiresome and their actual translations:

1) What they say ...I am the candidate of change.
What they should say... "In 2-4-6 years, you will want to get rid of me too."

2) What they say ..."Washington is broken."
What they should admit..."It won't be fixed if I get elected."

3) What they say ... "I am not a Washington insider..."
How they should finish that sentence... "yet."

4) What they preach ... "I am going to fight the special interests."
What they practice... "except for the ones that fund my political campaign."

5)  What they claim ... "I want to create jobs and help small businesses."
What they should say... "and blame the other party if it doesn't happen."

6) What they say ... My opponent is "extreme"
What they should say... "My opponent actually has a strongly held conviction or a novel idea that they are willing to stick to.  I prefer to waffle in the middle and am fooling no one."

7) What they proclaim... "I'm proud to be an American."
What they imply ... "Unless you agree with me, you hate this country."

8) What they say ... "I believe in family values."
What they mean ... "I want the christian vote."

9) What they say... "I am a progressive."
What they mean... "I want the homosexual vote."


And last but not least...


10) What they say...  "I want to work across the aisle to end the gridlock in Washington."
What they should say... "I am already writing my concession speech now because this outdated idea went out in 2008 after the election of Obama."