If you are the type of person who doesn’t keep all of the cards they might receive during the holiday season, then here’s a way to put them to good use. The St. Jude’s Ranch for Children is currently accepting used, all-occasion cards from November 15, 2009 – February 28, 2010 for their recycled card program. The idea was conceived for turning the previous year’s Christmas cards into “new” cards for the coming season. The recipients were so delighted with their unique “thank you,” they requested the children sell them the special cards.

The children participate in making the new cards by removing the front and attaching a new back. The result is a beautiful new card made by the children and volunteers. The benefits are two-fold: customers receive “green” holiday cards for use and the children receive payment for their work and learn the benefits and importance of “going green”.

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To Purchase Cards:

Cards are sold in packets of 10 for $10.00 and are available in the following categories:

• General Christmas Card
• Religious Christmas Cards
• Easter Cards
• Birthday Cards
• Thank You Cards
• All Occasion General Greeting Cards

Orders may be placed by any of the methods below:

• Visit our Online Store
• Phone 1-877-977-SJRC (7572) or
• Send your request and donation to:
  St. Jude’s Ranch for Children
  ATTN: Donor Office
  P.O. Box 60100
  Boulder City, NV 89006-0100

Cards may be donated by sending them to:

St. Jude’s Ranch for Children
Recycled Card Program
100 St. Jude’s Street
Boulder City, NV 89005

It’s been a long time coming, but I finally got around to setting up my own personal business directory. Small businesses are the backbone of this country and it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to keep it alive. The list of businesses I’ve compiled are ones that I’ve used or know the owner. I also look at customer service and quality of product/service because that’s what determines whether or not I want to continue to do business with them.

For those instances where I haven’t been able to use their service, I usually know the owner in some way and base it on how I’ve seen them manage  their company. I try to keep it professional and add only those I know are serious about their business. I don’t receive any free products or kickbacks from this. It’s all about showing some love to a hard-working business owner, no strings attached. We need more of this and I hope this list in some way inspires other to do something similar. I will continue to add to the list and would like to hear comments from those who use them.

If you are a business owner and would like to showcase your business, I’d recommend you check out Liberate Magazine. It’s an online magazine for entrepreneurs that allows them  to “tell their stories” and present the vast opportunities in life to create independent living through entrepreneurship. To get started, submit your answers to The Liberate 10 questions and the editors will get back to you if your request is approved.

The President explains that while he continues to focus on jobs, it is also profoundly important to address the problems that created this economic mess in the first place. He commends the House of Representatives for passing reforms to our financial system, including a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency, and blasts Republican Leaders and financial industry lobbyists for their joint “pep rally” to defeat it.

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These three words hung on the wall of “The Mighty Eagle Band” hall at Willowridge High School in Mo. City, TX. It was a constant reminder of what it would take to be a part of one of the greatest bands in the country. The band was under the direction of  Ronald B. Thornton, whom I had the pleasure of meeting during his time as band director for The Texas Southern University Ocean of Soul.

I learned a lot from Mr. Thornton. While at TSU, he was my first private lesson teacher and taught me how to be a disciplined musician. He gave me the opportunity to be a leader, even when I didn’t think I was quite ready. He placed me in situations that were real confidence builders for my growth as a musician and young man. While I didn’t realize it, the lessons and experiences I gained during my time in band, were helpful when I needed them later in life.

There were times when he’d get on us for not playing to our potential and he made sure we were diverse in our music selections and marching style. We played everything from orchestra to popular tunes on the radio. There was one time when he took a group of us to see B.B. King in concert. He knew the trumpet player and was  able to get us backstage passes and meet B.B. to get autographed pictures. He took the band all over the country and built a legacy that will live on forever.

I have a lot of good memories that I will always cherish, but I the one I’ll remember the most was seeing the Thorntons’ at my dad’s funeral. They’d read he’d passed in the paper and decided to come show their support. It’s tough when you lose a love one and for me the whole day was a blur. But I do remember seeing them there and it meant a lot to me to know they cared.

Today, I along with a church full of students, family and friends attended Mr. Thornton’s funeral. He impacted the lives of many people and his funeral was a testament to the life he lived.  While he may not physically be with us, he will certainly live on in our hearts. His work is done, but it’s up to us who he taught, mentored and counseled to continue the work left to do.

At the end of the ceremony Mr. Thornton’s son dismissed us with the question “Who’s got the greatest band in the country?”. Those who knew the answer responded. Mr. Thornton, Prof, Big T, Ronnie, Big Thunder, we will miss you. Thank you for teaching us what honor, pride & discipline is all about. And thank you to his family for sharing him with us.

R.I.P Ronald Thornton (Facebook)
Our love for Mr. Ronald B. Thornton (Facebook)

I always do this post at the end of the year as a quick reminder for my readers to check their credit report before the end of the year. Every year the government gives you a free credit report check so you can make sure there are no fraudulent inquiries on your record.

I do it for my family every year because identity theft can make your life miserable. When you run the check, you can get a report from the top three credit agencies: Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. While the credit report is free, you do not get access to your Fico score. To check your fico score, it’s a little extra but well worth the cost. If you do see something on your report that doesn’t belong, you can report it to the credit agencies and follow their process to get it removed.

The government extended the new home buyer tax credit and interest rates are still pretty low. It’s important to know your Fico score because this score determines what your interest rate will be if you plan on getting a loan. If you have good credit and you know your score, you can negotiate better rates than those who don’t.

You can get your 30-day free credit report by visiting annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228.

World AIDS Day, observed December 1 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection.

HIV/AIDS has been a global epidemic for more than 27 years. Most of today’s youth have never known a world without it. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently published national HIV incidence (new infections) that showed much higher numbers that previous estimates. The time is now. Together, we can prevent the spread of this pandemic – through awareness, care, prevention, education and research.

The Red Ribbon is the international symbol of support for people living with HIV. Wearing a red ribbon is a great way to raise awareness about HIV as well as to break down stigma and prejudice, so make sure you get yours in time for World AIDS Day!

Last year I had the opportunity to post about Worlds AIDS Day and found a lot of interesting information about how it affects us on a local and international scale. I was amazed to find out how many black people were infected with the disease. It’s not something that’s always discussed in our community and this is why I appreciate the effort of those willing to blog about this important day.

HIV/AIDS can be prevented and there’s a lot of good information out there on how you can get tested. I won’t re-type it because you can find the information in the post I did two years ago.

Be safe and get tested. It’s the responsible thing to do.

Last month I wrote a post about a virtual town hall meeting for Bill Cosby’s new CD, ‘Bill Cosby Presents the Cosnarati: State of Emergency’. The record has been released and Mr. Cosby is turning his attention to creating a serious discussion around the issues that fuel the Cosnarati record.

The next phase of the “State of Emergency” campaign will be a weekend of LISTENing parties on December 12th and 13th.  The Cosby team will be working vigilantly on the organization of thousands of mini-town halls at homes, community centers, churches, and other locations around the country. A full overview on the LISTENing parties here:

http://act.billcosby.com/events

This will be done in conjunction with another Ustream town hall featuring Mr. Cosby, who will also be calling in to welcome listeners at many of the town halls. If you would like to set up a LISTENing party, a manual for what’s needed to get started can be found at http://act.billcosby.com/page/-/docs/party-manual.pdf. I’ve been asked to sponsor a meeting, so I’ll let you know what comes of that.

UNCF Social Entrepreneurship (USE) is a new leadership and talent development initiative aimed at providing dynamic programs to equip young high-achieving African Americans with the skills and resources to make on-going and expanding social impact through entrepreneurship.

Social entrepreneurs are society’s change agents. They use entrepreneurial and business principles and an innovative spirit to seize opportunities others miss to improve systems, invent new approaches and create data-driven, outcomes-based solutions to overcome large social problems. Where a business entrepreneur looks for profit as the ultimate goal, a social entrepreneur’s bottom line is to solve social challenges.

The first USE program is the:
UNCF/The Walton Family Foundation Social Entrepreneurship K-12 Education Fellows Program

PAID BUSINESS INTERNSHIPS IN SOCIAL ENTREPRISE
UP TO $10,000 IN POST-GRADUATION FINANCIAL AID

The USE K-12 Education Fellows Program is aimed at building a robust pipeline of African Americans engaged in K-12 educational entrepreneurship. Fellows will learn about the inner workings of some of the nation’s leading educational organizations, including Teach for America, by working on meaningful projects in growth strategy, development, human assets, marketing, public affairs and diversity, among others. Fellows will be placed in organizations located in Boston, New York or Washington.

Apply now to become a USE Fellow!
Deadline: December 15, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving!

Given the holiday, we are releasing the President’s weekly address today.  In this video, President Obama calls to our attention the men and women in uniform who are away from home sacrificing time with family to protect our safety and freedom.  He also talks about the progress of health care reform, the Recovery Act, and job creation to ensure that next Thanksgiving will be a brighter day.

I missed last week’s address, so I thought I’d just give you the link.

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I’m not sure how many have noticed, but I’ve been away from the blogosphere a couple of weeks. The job has been keeping me pretty busy, but I see it as a good thing because there are a lot of people out there looking for work. For my back to blogging post, I thought I’d touch on a subject that got a lot of attention.

The sagging pants debate is back up and running and it looks like Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine R. Caraway has some help from the school district. The law he was looking to create never became a reality (which is good), so he’s looking to make it an issue of self-respect. My personal feelings on the sagging pants debate can be found here, so there’s no reason to get into all that again. But I will remain true to my stance and belief that people form their initial opinion about you based on your attire. While it may not be right or true, it happens.

In my last post, I received a mixed variety of comments and would like to know what you feel about the sagging pants discussion. Word has it that our young ladies are starting to follow suit and get their sag on also.