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

Thanks Cynique. That’s quite a compliment! Unfortunately there are no stories floating abound in my head wishing to break free. Guess I don’t have much of an imagination. Luckily there’s a whole bunch of other folks that do so I just live vicariously through their stories. Including yours. Crystal

Here’s what my local ‘what’s going on in the neighborhood for Black folks to know about’ reporter, Betty Pleasant from the Los Angeles Wave, a free local newspaper has to say: http://www.wavenewsp...-128360693.html Here’s my take on this [DISCLAMER: I haven’t been following the political news very closely for a couple of years now. I knew how hard on this man folks were going to get and I just didn’t want to hear it. Not because I thought of him as The Great Black Hope but because I was willing to give him a chance to try without listening to the BS. I didn’t think he would succeed because we are who/what we are, a racist and classist society and the white/rich folks are not gonna let that go anytime soon. Plus, I’m just not interested in trying to understand how Washington works. The little I do know pisses me off so why stress myself. I do what I can, go to a few local meetings and vote for people who act like they want to try.] Anyway – these 2 are on their last go-round. Tavis has never been as popular as his commercials make it look and Cornel has been ineffectual for a while now. Young people aren’t listening to them or even know who they are [except for maybe Tavis and his commercials and probably not even then because they don’t watch much tv]. They both come off as a little jealous of our President including the fact that he doesn’t seem to have invited either of them to his inner advisory circle. One more thing: yes, a big part of the reason for my support of President Obama is because he is a Black man. I’m a Black woman voting for a Black man because he is Black. Oh My! Well, why wouldn’t I? This is America. It’s what we do. Plus, he is qualified! There’s a whole lot of people voting against him because he is Black qualified or not and they come right out and say it. I’m saying it too: this Black woman is giving that Black man a chance because he is Black. I’ve given a bunch of white men that same chance and look what they’ve done with it. Why not give a Black man a chance? He certainly couldn’t do worse [well he could but he hasn’t]. Plus he’s kinda cute and I like his walk. Bottom line: I’m Still With You Mr. President! Crystal

I just finished Terry McMillan’s Getting to Happy. My obligatory summer drama read. I’m definitely done with Savannah and ‘em now. McMillan’s picture on the back cover with her ‘yeah you all know all my personal drama – what can I say’ look is funny. Crystal

Just finished Some Sing, Some Cry [Hey LiLi!] by sisters Ntozake Shange and Ifa Bayeza – story of the Mayfield family in Charleston, South Carolina from end of slavery to 21st century. Loved It! While stories of our history are very hard to read the writing in this one was so beautiful. Characters come to life in a couple of sentences. We know these people. I recommend it. I took my winter wonderland break with a sci-fi series written by L. Timmel Duchamp. The series is called the Marq'ssan Cycle and begins in 2075 when female aliens come to earth to straighten us out before we do something so bad it will affect the rest of the universe. They knock out all of the earth’s electronic power and we were all up that proverbial creek without cell phones and computers. There are 5 books in the series each 500+ pages. Although I guess it’s technically sci-fi because of the aliens and futuristic stuff, it really isn’t a sci-fi’ish story. More a story of how we handle things. So, how’s the summer reading coming?

At least you've GOT a team in the playoffs. The guys on the bus were moaning over the Lakers losing 1 funky game. Punks. I'd help you pull for the Bulls but with the luck the teams I pull for have that would be the end of their season. Crystal

Yeah, yeah Blake Griffin – I saw you. Yeah you were good and I’m glad you won and everything but it ain’t gonna work! Maybe if you had beat out that purple punk for MVP but for now I still ain’t going for it. I know you weren’t even around when your boys did me so wrong before but sorry . . . not going for it! Yet. Crystal

Clippers beat the Lakers. They're putting it down hard on a sista ain't they? Is that the Dramatics I hear in the background "feels like I'm falling"? Crystal

Alright Cynique! I see what you and those damn Clippers are trying to do - drag me back into their basketball camp - aren’t you? Well it ain’t gonna work this time! Being a vocal non-Laker fan the Clippers are all I’ve got but I ain’t going for it this time. I’ve been their fool too many times to fall for it again. Yeah, they’ve won a few games [FINALLY] and yeah they beat the Heat and stopped their streak and yeah they’ve got some good players BUT they’ve had good players before. They’ve had good teams before and good coaches before but…but…but it NEVER works and I’m not gonna fall for it again. Nope, not this time. Well, I MAY go to a game though because it is fun to be there but I’m not getting my heart involved this time. Nope, not again. Sigh. And don’t get me started on the damn Bruins. All I ask is for them to win 2 stinking games each year and they’ve already blown the first one. Lose to the Trojans? Really? Go Bruins. Sigh. Crystal p.s. football is even worse.

You guys are funny! LiLi: that's why I buy a whole fifth! I only need 1 cup for 2 batches then the rest is MINE! Thanks for the info on the Cleo book Cynique - think I'll check it out. The Wizard of the Crow is cracking me up! Crystal

So, what are you buying and what do you want? I got Walter Mosley's The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey for my son. I'm not sure it's really his type but it's become a tradition for me to give him a Mosley book and the new McGill won't be out till March. For me I got Wizard of the Crow by Ngugi Wa'Thiong'O. It's been on my wish list for quite a while and I'm looking forward to it. Also got A Company of Moors by Justin Thomas - North Africa in 1640. Both of these are BABs 766 and 571 pages respectively, you know I like that. I think it's been a couple of years since I posted my famous Rum Ball recipe for the holidays. Enjoy: RUM BALLS 3 c Crushed vanilla wafers 1 c Chopped pecans (chopped small) 1 c Confecgioner's sugar 1 1/2 tb Unsweetened cocoa powder 3 tb Light corn syrup 1/2 c Rum Confectioner's sugar for rolling Combine vanilla wafers, pecans, sugar, cocoa powder, corn syrup, and rum mixing together well. Using slightly dampened hands, shape mixture into 3/4" balls. Roll balls in confectioner's sugar. Store in a tightly covered container. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY! Crystal