The U.S. Census counts every resident in the United States, and is required by the Constitution to take place every 10 years. Mid-March the census forms will be delivered to every residence in the United States and Puerto Rico. When you receive yours, just answer the 10 short questions (they say it take around 10 minutes) and then mail the form back in the postage-paid envelope provided. If you don’t mail the form back, you may receive a visit from a census taker, who will ask you the questions from the form.

The majority of the country will receive English–only materials. Households in areas with high concentrations of Spanish-speaking residents may receive a bilingual (English/Spanish) form. Any personal data you provide is protected under federal law.

Please take the time to fill out the Census and mail it back because the information affects the numbers of seats your state occupies in the U.S. House of Representatives. People from many walks of life use census data to advocate for causes, rescue disaster victims, prevent diseases, research markets, locate pools of skilled workers and more. It also helps to determine how more than $400 billion dollars of federal funding each year is spent on infrastructure and services like:

• Hospitals
• Job training centers
• Schools
• Senior centers
• Bridges, tunnels and other-public works projects
• Emergency services

Don’t take this lightly. For more information regarding the Census and how it affects all Americans, check out the Census blog at http://blogs.census.gov/2010census.

If you are in need of a job, the U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting temporary, part-time census takers right in your own community. These short-term jobs offer good pay, flexible hours, paid training, and reimbursement for authorized work-related expenses, such as mileage incurred while conducting census work. For more information on the job opportunities they offer, visit http://2010.census.gov/2010censusjobs.

On February 1st, President Obama issued an annual proclamation declaring the month of February American Heart Month. Yes, with Black History Month and my birthday, the month of February is already a joyous time. Being the nice guy that I am,  I’m willing to share (especially since they’ve been issuing the proclamation since 1963).

But even if that weren’t the case, having a month to focus on heart disease is extremely important because it is the leading cause of death in the United States. All of us know one or more people who’s lives have been affected by heart disease and if not taken seriously it could kill you. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put together a nice site, full of information for you to learn more about the dangers of heart disease.

While dangerous, heart disease is something that can be controlled if caught early enough. Knowing your family health history and living a healthy lifestyle are just some of the things you can do to prevent it. I’ve provided some links below for you to learn more on what you need to do to become heart healthy.

American Heart Association National Website
Go Red For Women
The Heart Truth Campaign
Men and Heart Disease
Heart Disease and Black People

It’s amazing how a disaster can bring people together and due to major  advancements in technology, it’s easier than every to lend a hand. I’ve received information via email, text and Facebook about Wyclef Jean’s efforts to help those in Haiti. It’s pretty easy to donate and you know the funds are going to be used wisely. To donate via your cell phone text “Yele” to 501501 and $5.00 will be charged to your cell phone bill. To donate online, click here.

The Red Cross also has a text message option and so far has raised over $4 million in mobile donations. To donate to the Red Cross via your mobile phone, text the word “Haiti” to the number 90999. A donation of $10.oo will be charged to your mobile phone bill.

Local Dallas radio host Tom Joyner said in this morning’s show that he and his team have plans to fly to Port-au-Prince to set up an internet cafe for Haitian citizens to contact family in America. In a post at blackamericaweb.com, they list some other things we can do to help out.

I shouldn’t be surprised at the global response to help a country in need, but I would like to end this post with a message from the Villager titled “Haiti Earthquake: Will America Care Next Week?”. Haiti has always been a country in need and I hope America will not forget them or others who need a helping hand.

Everyone is making a big deal about Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s comment and I can understand why. If it had been a Republican, a committee would have been formed to investigate and Senate member would have been embarrassed out of their position. The committee would have given the report and findings to President Obama and he would have thrown them in the trash. I’m sure this isn’t the first (or last) time he’s a heard a comment like this.

What Harry said was wrong and insensitive, but how many people have thought the same thing? When Obama announced his decision to run for president, I remember thinking to myself, “now this brotha has a shot”. Let’s be honest, if he were dark-skinned and well spoken, he would have been “one of those uppity negros” and probably wouldn’t have been accepted by such a large, diverse demographic as Obama was (it was either him or Harold Ford Jr.)

While sad, the discussion over dark vs. light skin is nothing new in the black community. Growing up, light-skinned was in and the Al B. Sure brotha’s were on top of the world and I remember at times being envious of them with their “light skin” and “good hair”. It’s an issue that has plagued many dark-skinned people of color (whether they want to admit it or not) and I really believe that’s why I’m not surprised by Harry’s comment. You have to ask yourself, if everything except skin color were equal, would a darker-skinned person have a had a chance running against Obama?

President Obama knows the game. This isn’t the first time he’s been talked about and he knows he needs Reid to get his agenda through Congress. But the difference now, is that Reid is Obama’s personal bia bia and will get do what he needs to do to get back in the good graces of the black Democrats.  These people are politicians and they will do what they need to do to get their personal agendas passed. I’m no fan of fake public apologies and Reid meant exactly what he said. What bothers me are all the complaints from people who have probably said the same thing and didn’t get caught.

It’s hard to believe it’s already 2010. But we’re here and there are still new things in store for this blog. When I started blogging, the main goal was to share information and hopefully open up dialogue on issues that affect the black community. I think I did that in some way this year, but it wasn’t to the extent that I’d done in previous years.

The goal for this year is to continue on the track of keeping the site informative. I plan on opening it up to others who are interested in sharing their point of view with the readers of this site. There are some talented, well-written people out there and I want to showcase them and get some real discussions going.

Late in the year, when I got swamped with projects for work, I fell off the blogging scene for a couple of weeks. Blogging can be a daunting task and coming up with things to write about can be time consuming (especially when it isn’t one of my strengths). So this year, I’m going to solicit your help. If you or someone you know are interested in blogging, but don’t want to manage their own site, email me at info @ theotalks.net. I’m always in need of someone to write and it usually turns out to be a win-win situation for both parties.

This year, I also want to focus more on minority small businesses. In these turbulent economic times, a lot of people are turning to owning their own business. I think that’s great, so I decided to start a list of some of my favorite small businesses. I’ll be highlighting small business owners throughout the year, so contact me if you’re interested in participating.

Finally, here are some websites that you need to keep an eye on for 2010. I’ll be blogging a lot about them and hope to be visible on most of them as time permits. Check them out when you get the chance:

• Liberate Magazine
• Tech Relations Firm
• Dallas South News
• Barter My Biz

Have a Happy New Year and God Bless!

I received this in an email, so I’m not sure how good it will be. But it does sound pretty interesting.

The IRS is changing the rules and raising the fees… so we just want to give you one last chance to register for Kill the Myths & Make Money Pursuing Your Passion:  How & Why to Build a Thriving Nonprofit Organization.  This is the last opportunity for this webinar before the IRS makes its move!  Don’t miss it!

- Do you want to start a nonprofit organization but think it means you can’t make money?

- Do you have a passion to serve the community but don’t know how to turn your ideas into profits?

- Do you want to know where the money is and how to get it?

- Want to know how to build a thriving 501(c)(3) organization?

Nonprofit DOES NOT MEAN no money!

Learn the nuts, bolts and much, much more, including:

- What is the difference between a not-for-profit corporation, a tax-exempt organization, and a limited liability company (LLC)?

- What are the funding source?

- How to build wealth in a tax-exempt organization?

- How to turn your community service passion into profits?

- Where is the money to fund your ideas?

Despite our current economic environment, there is still money out there to fund your organization… you just have to know how and where to find it!

We will dispel the myths, misconceptions and mindsets that hinder you from succeeding and building a thriving organization (“We can’t do that as a nonprofit…”).  Whether you lead a nonprofit, are thinking about starting one, or work for one… this webinar is for you.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM EST

Sign Up Here

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”.

source

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.

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.