Crystal

My phone is still in pretty good shape cause I don't use it much at all. I only text a few times a week. That's why I can't see spending $100+ for a phone I won't use and I'm not interested in tweeting or surfing the net. We'll see . . .

Remember just before Christmas when I said Santa was bringing me a Kindle but I was unsure if I really wanted one? Well, it’s taken a couple of months but I’m liking it! It’s still not pretty like a book but the convenience of carrying a 500+ page book in my purse along with LOTS of other books just waiting for me to read – SCORE! I got the Kindle Reader and the giftor acknowledged that the Fire would be overkill for me and I crocheted a cover for it so it wouldn’t be quite so ugly. Next up – some sort of ‘smart phone’ I guess. Not that I really need one but I’m tired of telling folks to stay out of my business when they talk about my antique flip-top phone. Santa, are you listening? Crystal

I’m reading the VIPs by Scott Poulson-Bryant. It starts off with 4 childhood friends called together years later and being asked the question “which one of you bastards is my father?” Yeah, like the book/movie Lace, which the author credits. DRAMA testosterone style. It’s a fun read that would be good as a vacation book. Crystal

There are a whole lot of issues in the linked story. In general, no I would not call the LAPD to help me with my child. But in this story the parents had called the police for help with their autistic son [6ft, 200lbs] several times and I’m supposing they handled the matter to the parents’ satisfaction – or they wouldn’t have called them again. Some will say the police are not mental health professionals and parents should not expect them to help control their children. But if not the police then who? In this budget cutting frenzy we are in now assistance for families having to deal with these problems has been slashed into nonexistence. Programs that help put people to work, assisted living spaces, in-home care assistance, medical, dental and mental health care – all slashed. Where are these families supposed to go for help? Trying to get an appointment with a social worker is a nightmare and even if you get one there’s not a whole lot for them to offer. For a lot of people 9-1-1 is the only answer they can come up with. Troy, as a daily bus rider I hear a lot more mother’s cussing out their kids than the kids cussing the mother. Of course a lot of these mothers are young themselves. It makes me sick! That’s a good point about the police presence on school campuses. I’m told they are even in middle schools. Just the thought of me calling my mother a bitch makes me cringe! Crystal

Good! I'm looking forward to it Cynique. Thanks Troy! Crystal

OMGoodness WriterG, I had the same reaction to this book. I was reading it during the holidays and wasn’t able to give it my full attention as it deserves so I’m going to read it again. The cloning of Africa has stuck with me though along with some thoughts on our men and how we love them. One of my favorite things about Kola’s writing is how she describes the beauty of Black women. Beautiful in our own right not just a parallel of european standards. Kola, woman you’ve done it again. Then I read Mama Ruby. You too Ms. Mary [may I call you Mary?]. You almost got me in trouble again on the bus. When I got to the part about a certain regular visitor to the neighborhood professional I let out a loud ‘OMG’ and folks started easing away from me. Mama Ruby has been one of my favorite characters since The Upper Room and now I remember why. Now I’ve got to re-read The Upper Room too. Thanks Ladies! You both helped me through the holiday dramas. Crystal p.s. WriterG - glad to add you to my list. Good investigating Cynique!

Don't F this one up Donald! Signed, a trying to be loyal but you keep disappointing me fan.

I say YES to the Stove Top Corn Bread Dressing! And I don't doctor it up at all. Dump it in the pot with water and butter and you're good to go. I had this discussion with my Mother and Sister: Me: Why do we have to have dressing, sweet potatoes, mac & cheese AND monkey bread [decades long standing favorite family recipe] along with the greens and green beans [and maybe some turnip bottoms], turkey AND ham [and maybe a goose if my son finds one]. All for 5 people! And do we really need a cake AND a pie? Charming Sister: Because it's tradition. Me: But we just had this same menu 2 weeks ago at T'giving. Mom: Whatever [her 82 year old response to just about everything now days]. Oh well, since I won't be cooking any of it [maybe I'll help roll out the bread] but I will be doing the clean up after. That's when everybody else is out of the kitchen and that extra rum from the rum balls comes in handy. Ahh the Holidays! Crystal

I'm thinking about it Cynique. I'd have to do them this weekend and I'm just not feeling it. Maybe I'll just buy the rum first and see how it goes . . . Crystal

It’s that time of year again! I got the annual Walter Mosley book for my son – the latest Leonid McGill story [Known to Evil I think]. I think Santa may bring me a kindle. I didn’t ask for it and not sure if I want it but folks are dragging me kicking and biting into the middle of this electronic age. And I hope it’s NOT the Fire because that would really be overkill for me. I don’t use the computers I’ve got now. Plus the kindle is ugly. Books are pretty. What’s on your list? Crystal

Troy – thanks for the Pessimistic Reading List in your newsletter. I’ve read The Night Manager by John le Carre and The Attack by Yasmina Khadra from the list. The Night Manager is a spy story which I try to avoid for exactly the reason this book is on the list. I don’t want to read about all the bad stuff the so-called ‘good guys’ are doing in the name of patriotism. Still, the main character is interesting. He’s an English spy trying to stop ‘the worst man in the world’, an arms dealer, because he’s done his woman wrong. Steal a bunch of guns, sell them to some third-world baddies for a lot of money and live the rich life. Sound familiar? I really enjoyed The Attack. I found it thought provoking with parallels with our own Black in the Land of White story. It’s the story of a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv. Although the blurb says it’s a balanced novel it is definitely pro-Palestinian to me. What a mess they’ve got going on over there! On the storyline - ole boy didn’t know his wife at all. Here he is walking around with his head in the middle-class, suburban clouds thinking everything was cool and he was in tight with the Jews and then BOOM [pun intended]. Then he finds out what his own people really think of him. Poor thing was clueless because he went around with his nose either up in the air or up his own butt. Crystal

What he said! Crystal

And here in LaLaLand the top 2 news stories are 1) trial of Michael Jackson’s doctor and 2) how much time will Lindsay Lohan spend in jail [that's after she finishes her playboy spread – yuck!]. The European financial crisis that affects ALL of us - barely mentioned after the 2nd commercial. Priorities People! Crystal

Oh my. What a quandary. I would have to go beyond my shallow ‘voting for the Black man because he’s Black’ huh? Naw. The walk talks. You got this Mr. President! Crystal

Yeah Troy, Betty did kinda take it too far. She usually does. Although I wouldn't discount the consipriacy theory but maybe not the paying them off part [?]. I agree we don't have much of a choice this time around. Who else? None of the Rep's seem to have much going for themselves thank goodness. Except for the color of their skin. The turnout for this election may be pretty low. That's a choice too and one I've made before. Crystal