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HAPPY HOLIDAYS!! Del Mar Racetrack, a holiday tradition surely to delight the entire family. Sunday-Thursday, 5:30-10:00PM; Friday and Saturday, 5:30-10:30PM Cost: $14.00 per car, up to 5 people $19.00 per vehicle, 6 or more people $49.00 per bus
Top Holiday Lighting Events in San Diego: San Diego Bay Parade of Lights Sunday, December 11 & 18, 2011 Fireworks begin at 5:30pm Light Parade begins immediately following fireworks Various locations and times of parade are: Shelter Island (start of parade) - 5:30pm Harbor Island - 6pm The Embarcadero - 6:30pm Seaport Village - 7pm Ferry Landing on Coronado - 7:30pm Parade takes approximately 1 1/2 hrs. to pass any given point http://www.sdparadeoflights.org/event_schedule.shtml Holiday of Lights - Del Mar Fair Grounds Nov. 24th through Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012 (Closed Mondays, Dec. 5 & Dec. 12.) The largest animated drivethrough light show on the West Coast. More than 400 twinkling, lively displays located around the
Top Neighborhood Christmas Lights Chula Vista, Christmas Circle a tradition for over 46 years. People come from all over San Diego to see the wonderful displays. Located between First and Second Avenues, just south of H. Street and I Street. Dec. 11 through Dec.26, 5 to 10 pm. Over 55 homes decorated (FREE) EAST SAN DIEGO Arron Christmas Lane - 1523 48th Street - off Federal Blvd. & 48th St. Dec. 1 through Dec. 30, 5 to 10 pm.
LEMON GROVE, LOMITA (San Diego) 689 Meadowbrook Dr. - off Jamacha Rd., south of Lemon Grove. Dec. 6 through Jan.1, dusk to 10 pm. Many lights on home and occasionally, Santa and Mrs. Santa may be out to greet visitors. Port of San Diego Big Bay Balloon Parade Now this sounds like a blast! Bring your kids out and have a great time at the largest Balloon Parade in America, right here in your hometown. When: Wednesday, December 28, 2011 Time: 10:00 a.m. Where: Downtown San Diego Cost: $15.00 - $20.00 Route starting on California Street, ending on G & W. Habor Dr.
1838 El Pico Drive. - off Hacienda Drive Dec. 10 through Jan. 1, dusk to 10 pm. 41st year of decorating the 20-foot star over 100 ft. in the air, overlooking El Cajon Valley. Also see a 55foot long train
About UniquelySanDiego.com – your online guide highlighting the city’s multicultural news, events, attractions, communities, daily deals, and more. Want to drive more traffic to your business or store front? Upload your daily coupon specials and enter your “FREE” business listing by clicking on the “businesses” tab www.uniquelysandiego.com . Have an event you want to share? Simply submit your community event to our calendar by clicking on Event’s tab and follow the prompts - it’s “FREE”!!
LA MESA Bob’s Christmas Wonderland - 7171 Cornell Ave., La Mesa. This residence is truly a wonderland and is open from 5 to 9 p.m. nightly through December. Visitors are asked to bring one canned food item to be donated to the Salvation Army.
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EL CAJON Jingle Bell Hill (aka Pepper Drive Lights) - Solomon Ave./Pageen Pl. and surrounding area. Off 67 and Bradley
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Stirring 2002 Speech Against the Iraq War REMEBERED As He Brings U.S. Troops Home Barack Obama’s Stirring 2002 Speech Against the Iraq War than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of al-Qaeda. I am not opposed to all wars. I’m opposed to dumb wars. So for those of us who seek a more just and secure world for our children, let us send a clear message to the president.
“I stand before you as someone who is not opposed to war in all circumstances. The Civil War was one of the bloodiest in history, and yet it was only through the crucible of the sword, the sacrifice of multitudes, that we could begin to perfect this union and drive the scourge of slavery from our soil. I Don’t Oppose All Wars I don’t oppose all wars. My grandfather signed up for a war the day after Pearl Harbor was bombed, fought in Patton’s army. He fought in the name of a larger freedom, part of that arsenal of democracy that triumphed over evil. I don’t oppose all wars. After September 11, after witnessing the carnage and destruction, the dust and the tears, I supported this administration’s pledge to hunt down and root out those who would slaughter innocents in the name of intolerance, and I would willingly take up arms myself to prevent such tragedy from happening again. Opposed to Dumb, Rash Wars I don’t oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war. What I am opposed to is the cynical attempt by Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz and other armchair, weekend warriors in this administration to shove their own ideological agendas down our throats, irrespective of the costs in lives lost and in hardships borne. What I am opposed to is the attempt by political hacks like Karl Rove to distract us from a rise in the uninsured, a rise in the poverty rate, a drop in the median income, to distract us from corporate scandals and a stock market that has just gone through the worst month since the Great Depression. That’s what I’m opposed to. A dumb war. A rash war. A war based not on reason but on
passion, not on principle but on politics. On Saddam Hussein Now let me be clear: I suffer no illusions about Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal man. A ruthless man. A man who butchers his own people to secure his own power.... The world, and the Iraqi people, would be better off without him. But I also know that Saddam poses no imminent and direct threat to the United States, or to his neighbors...and that in concert
with the international community he can be contained until, in the way of all petty dictators, he falls away into the dustbin of history. I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a U.S. occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather
You Want a Fight, President Bush? You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s finish the fight with Bin Laden and al-Qaeda, through effective, coordinated intelligence, and a shutting down of the financial networks that support terrorism, and a homeland security program that involves more than colorcoded warnings. You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s fight to make sure that...we vigorously enforce a nonproliferation treaty, and that former enemies and current allies like Russia safeguard and ultimately eliminate their stores of nuclear material, and that nations like Pakistan and India never use the terrible weapons already in their possession, and that the arms merchants in our own country stop feeding the countless wars that rage across the globe. You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s fight to make sure our so-called allies in the Middle East, the Saudis and the Egyptians, stop oppressing their own people, and suppressing dissent, and tolerating corruption and inequality, and mismanaging their economies so that their youth grow up without education, without prospects, without hope, the ready recruits of terrorist cells. You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s fight to wean ourselves off Middle East oil through an energy policy that doesn’t simply serve the interests of Exxon and Mobil. Those are the battles that we need to fight. Those are the battles that we willingly join. The battles against ignorance and intolerance. Corruption and greed. Poverty and despair.”
Men within our Community, “Man up”!!!!!!! Brian Pollard I was recently speaking with a few folks about the role of Men within our Community and since then I have seen an article about that same topic, so I interpreted that as a message to perhaps write something about this topic and start a conversation within families. It is no secret that in large, (but not all) African American men have been “Missing in Action” within our families and in Community and Church Activities for decades. This behavior has been predominate for a number of reasons, and it struck me that the “reasons” are less important than discussing the effect of our absence and how do we change it! Not having a father in the household has numerous negative effects on not only Black families, but families in general. Our children and grandchildren need a male role model to help learn from and to help them in their numerous transitions to adulthood. In order for our children and grandchildren to grow into functional adults our kids needs both parents to instill within themselves proper values, belief in God, Black Culture,(and I don’t mean pants sagging, disrespectful attitude towards women, vulgar music, incarceration, and the ridicule of education), the importance of edu-
cation, public service, financial maturity, etc. And quite frankly at least 50% of our population has done a great job of it. However, the statistics outline that fatherless families produce children that are more likely to drop out of school, abuse women, susceptible to drug and alcohol use and becoming criminals, etc. Certainly fatherless homes are not the only reason but certainly is a major reason. We just have to look into some of our respective homes and I am sure we will see and own some of this family dysfunction. This is systematically doing more damage to our culture, families and communities than any other outside entity. I am sure you will agree it is time for us to quit ignoring this phenomena and quit blaming any other outside force. It is our responsibility as MEN to correct this behavior within our race, families and communities. Let me take this opportunity to stress that this “fatherless society is not only a Black issue, it is a social issue among all races. But let’s focus on the Black Community for now, and yet, these issues can be associated with all races. MEN can correct this destructive pattern by becoming more aware of our impact on our children. Children are our legacy, and are the future of our community, and yet with our past
behavior we have sent a message to them that “they do not matter”. Our message by our behaviors tells them they are worthless and not deserving of our love and attention. Guess what, they will carry this ugly behavior with them and the chain will continue within their adult lives. Do we really want to pass this on? My biological Dad died when I was about 10 years old, and although he was a great Dad, he was because of his death not in our household. This has certainly left a scar among me and my siblings. Thank God my mother married someone who was “present” throughout our lives, so I know first hand the issues that surface when a Dad is not in the house. We can start changing this “tide” by spending more time with our children and taking more interest in their lives. Stressing the importance of education, the law, encouraging them to accept responsibility for their behavior, the importance of God in their lives, and respect for all people. We have certainly learned these values in our respective upbringing to some extent and now it is time to be more aware of our behavior and how it impacts our kids. They learn from us constantly….the good and the bad. Men, our women have been caring for our families alone long enough, it is wayyyyyyyyyy overdue that we “man-up” and participate in the families we created. Fathers that are living with your families, good for you. You are 50% there. You at least are “in the fam-
ily” so my offer is to participate more actively, be a good role model to your children. Most of being a parent is being a teacher! You are never going to get it perfect, but no one does. For those of you men that are divorced or who is someone’s “baby-daddy”; PAY YOUR CHILD SUPPORT!!!! Redirect your energies into spending time with your children. Your involvement does not stop once the mother becomes pregnant….it begins. If you were man enough to make that baby, you have to be man enough to take care of them. Stop wasting your money on “bling-bling” and support your children….regardless of how you feel about the baby’s mama! For those of you men that “get it” pass it on to a younger dad, so you can perhaps mentor a brother into the appropriate and loving direction. It is time to “man-up” gentlemen, it is our responsibility to ensure our next generation is better off than we are, are you doing your part?....after raising three girls here is something to ponder; Would you want your daughter to pick someone to marry that is just like you?...............ouch! Brothers, get involved in your church groups, local men’s organizations that have high values, disengage from your “friends” that aren’t leading a value-driven life, and spend time with your families. Life is hard gentlemen…………..now “man-up” and do the right thing!!!!!! Our kids are at stake.
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2012: Nothing But the Positive For the last three years, I have editorialized the mistakes of Black America. Next year, I’m going to write about all of the good things our history has to offer, and let’s see if it makes a difference. Since I’m going to talk about positive things, I would like to kick off this new venture by talking about the woman that helped create the Black beauty and cosmetology vocation through education. Her name was Madam Annie Malone, a Black woman who owned over 20 schools from the Midwest to the heart of Dixie and back up the eastern seaboard to Massachusetts. Annie Malone believed in training the hands of Black women and vocationalized them, forming what we call the cosmetology vocation today. I am sure that she would be proud of how well Black folks moved the industry along, and how versatile Black women have become in doing the hair of many other ethnicities. When Annie Malone began to teach cosmetology, we didn’t have as much versatility in hair textures and types that we do today. We certainly didn’t have as much integration in the customer base. Black stylists now work in integrated salons, which has never been the norm in decades past. During the 1900s, you could find Blacks that worked in all white salons and only did white hair. In some cases, they couldn’t do Black hair at all. Hairdressers today can do both. Much of that can be attributed to weaving and braiding, because this hair, synthetic or natural, is straight. Malone deserves much of the credit for being the reason why I invested and authored books on the history of Black barbering and cosmetology. The tools she used were tools discarded by most of the settlers that migrated here from Germany and England. They
EDITORIAL brought over most of the tools used even today. The heaters and stoves were tools used to heat the irons that did the laundry. Those stoves were eventually converted to the stoves and the elements used to heat the irons that built the beauty industry today. Here at California Curl, we will open the first and the only museum in the world dedicated to the great history of this great woman, as well as Madam CJ Walker. We encourage the beauty industry to embrace this opportunity so that your present customers and your future customers can appreciate what we have collected and displayed for your viewing. Until Next Week, Willie Morrow
Letters to the Editor can be emailed to The San Diego Monitor: sdmnews@aol.com
Iraq War Facts, Results & Statistics at November 30, 2011 4,486 US Soldiers Killed, 32,226 Seriously Wounded By Deborah White, For your quick reading, I’ve listed key statistics about the Iraq War and occupation, taken primarily from data analyzed by various think tanks, including The Brookings Institution’s Iraq Index, and from mainstream media sources. Data is presented as of November 30, 2011, except as indicated. U.S. SPENDING IN IRAQ Spent & Approved War-Spending - About $1 trillion of US taxpayers’ funds spent or approved for spending through 2011. Lost & Unaccounted for in Iraq - $9 billion of US taxpayers’ money and $549.7 milion in spare parts shipped in 2004 to US contractors. Also, per ABC News, 190,000 guns, including 110,000 AK-47 rifles. Lost and Reported Stolen - $6.6 billion of U.S. taxpayers’ money earmarked for Iraq reconstruction, reported on June 14, 2011 by Special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction Stuart Bowen who called it “the largest theft of funds in national history.” (Source - CBS News) Last known holder of the $6.6 billion lost: the U.S. government. Missing - $1 billion in tractor trailers, tank recovery vehicles, machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and other equipment and services provided to the Iraqi security forces. (Per CBS News on Dec 6, 2007.) Mismanaged & Wasted in Iraq - $10 billion, per Feb 2007 Congressional hearings Halliburton Overcharges Classified by the Pentagon as Unreasonable and Unsupported - $1.4 billion Amount paid to KBR, a former Halliburton division, to supply U.S. military in Iraq with food, fuel, housing and other items - $20 billion. Portion of the $20 billion paid to KBR that Pentagon auditors deem “questionable or supportable” - $3.2 billion U.S. Annual Air-Conditioning Cost in Iraq and Afghanistan - $20.2 billion (Source - NPR, June 25, 2011) U.S. 2009 Monthly Spending in Iraq - $7.3 billion as of Oct 2009 U.S. 2008 Monthly Spending in Iraq - $12 billion U.S. Spending per Second - $5,000 in 2008 (per Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on May 5, 2008) Cost of deploying one U.S. soldier for one year in Iraq - $390,000 TROOPS IN IRAQ Troops in Iraq - Total 13,000 U.S. troops. All other nations have withdrawn their troops. U.S. Troop Casualties - 4,486 US troops; 98% male. 91% non-officers; 82% active duty, 11% National Guard; 74% Caucasian, 9% African-American, 11% Latino. 19% killed by nonhostile causes. 54% of US casualties were under 25 years old. 72% were from the US Army Non-U.S. Troop Casualties - Total 316, with 179 from the UK US Troops Wounded - 32,226, 20% of which are serious brain or spinal injuries. (Total excludes psychological injuries.) US Troops with Serious Mental Health Problems - 30% of US troops develop serious mental health problems within 3 to 4 months of returning home US Military Helicopters Downed in Iraq - 75 total, at least 36 by enemy fire IRAQI TROOPS, CIVILIANS & OTHERS IN IRAQ Private Contractors in Iraq, Working in Support of US Army Troops - More than 180,000 in August 2007, per TheNation.com.. Journalists killed - 150, 98 by murder and 52 by acts of war Journalists killed by US Forces - 14 Iraqi Police and Soldiers Killed - 10,125, as of July 31, 2011 Iraqi Civilians Killed, Estimated - On October 22, 2010, ABC News reported “a secret U.S. government tally that puts the Iraqi (civilian) death toll over 100,000,” information that was included in more than 400,000 military documents released by Wikileaks.com. A UN issued report dated Sept 20, 2006 stating that Iraqi civilian casualties have been significantly under-reported. Casualties are reported at 50,000 to over 100,000, but may be much higher. Some informed estimates place Iraqi civilian casualities at over 600,000. Iraqi Insurgents Killed, Roughly Estimated - 55,000 Non-Iraqi Contractors and Civilian Workers Killed - 572 as of August 30, 2011 Non-Iraqi Kidnapped - 306, including 57 killed, 147 released, 4 escaped, 6 rescued and 89 status unknown. Daily Insurgent Attacks, Feb 2004 - 14 Daily Insurgent Attacks, July 2005 - 70 Daily Insurgent Attacks, May 2007 - 163 Estimated Insurgency Strength, Nov 2003 - 15,000 Estimated Insurgency Strength, Oct 2006 - 20,000 - 30,000 Estimated Insurgency Strength, June 2007 - 70,000 QUALITY OF LIFE INDICATORS Iraqis Displaced Inside Iraq, by Iraq War, as of May 2007 - 2,255,000 Iraqi Refugees in Syria & Jordan - 2.1 million to 2.25 million Continued on page 6
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Iraq: Leon Panetta Announces Official End of War U.S. Army soldiers from 1st Cavalry Division, based at Fort Hood, Texas, load their baggage as they begin their journey home after a deployment in Iraq, at Camp Virginia, Kuwait, Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011. After nearly nine years, 4,500 American dead and 100,000 Iraqi dead, U.S. officials formally shut down the war in Iraq - a conflict that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said was worth the American sacrifice because it set Iraq on a path to democracy. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo) After a nine-year war that claimed 4,500 American lives, wounded another 32,000, and cost more than $800 billion, U.S. officials formally shut down the war in Iraq. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta stepped off his military plane in Baghdad Thursday as the leader of America's war in Iraq, but will leave as one of many top U.S. and global officials who hope to work with the struggling nation as it tries to find its new place in the Middle East and the broader world. He said that the war was worth the price in blood and money, as it set Iraq on a path to democracy. The war involved a large number of Latino soldiers, including the 477 who were killed in combat operations, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Defense. Currently there are 140,000 enlisted members of the military of Latino descent, making up around 12 percent of the force. You will leave with great pride — lasting pride…Secure in knowing that your sacrifice has helped the Iraqi people to begin a new chapter in history. - Leon Panetta More than 100,000 Iraqis have been killed since the U.S. invasion in 2003, according to the Iraq Body Count website. Bombings and gun battles are still common. And experts are concerned about the Iraqi security force's ability to defend the nation against foreign threats. Still, Panetta said earlier this week, the war "has not been in vain." He and several other U.S. diplomatic, military and defense leaders participated Thursday in a symbolic ceremony during which the flag of U.S. Forces-Iraq was officially retired, or "cased," according to Army tradition. The U.S. Forces-Iraq flag was furled — or wrapped — around a flagpole
and covered in camouflage. It will be brought back to the United States. "You will leave with great pride — lasting pride," Panetta told the troops. "Secure in knowing that your sacrifice has helped the Iraqi people to begin a new chapter in history." During a stop in Afghanistan this week, Panetta described the mission as "making that country sovereign and independent and able to govern and secure itself." That, he said, is "a tribute to everybody — everybody who fought in that war, everybody who spilled blood in that war, everybody who was dedicated to making sure we could achieve that mission." Iraqi citizens offered a more pessimistic assessment. "The Americans are leaving behind them a destroyed country," said Mariam Khazim of Sadr City. "The Americans did not leave modern schools or big factories behind them. Instead, they left thousands of widows and orphans." A member of the political coalition loyal to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr saw another message in the U.S. withdrawal. "The American ceremony represents the failure of the U.S. occupation of Iraq due to the great resistance of the Iraqi people," said Sadrist lawmaker Amir al-Kinani. Panetta echoed President Barack Obama's promise that the U.S. plans to keep a robust diplomatic presence in Iraq, foster a deep and lasting relationship with the nation and maintain a strong military force in the region. As of Thursday, there were two U.S. bases and about 4,000 U.S. troops in Iraq — a dramatic drop from the roughly 500 military installations and as many as 170,000 troops during the surge ordered by President George W. Bush in 2007, when violence and raging sectarianism gripped the country. All U.S. troops are slated to be out of Iraq by the end of the year, but officials are likely to meet that goal a bit before then. The total U.S. departure is a bit earlier than initially planned, and military leaders worry that it is a bit premature for the still maturing Iraqi security forces, who face continuing struggles to develop the logistics, air operations, surveillance and intelligence sharing capabilities they will need in what
has long been a difficult neighborhood. SUMMARY The nine year struggle involved a large number of Latino soldiers, including the 477 who were killed in combat operations, according to Defense department statistics. Currently there are 140,000 enlisted members of the military of Latino descent, making up around 12 percent of the force. U.S. officials were unable to reach an agreement with the Iraqis on legal issues and troop immunity that would have allowed a small training and counterterrorism force to remain. U.S. defense officials said they expect there will be no movement on that issue until sometime next year. Still, despite Obama's earlier contention that all American troops would be home for Christmas, at least 4,000 forces will remain in Kuwait for some months. The troops will be able to help finalize the move out of Iraq, but could also be used as a quick reaction force if needed. Obama met in Washington with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki earlier this week, vowing to remain committed to Iraq as the two countries struggle to define their new relationship. Ending the war was an early goal of the Obama administration, and Thursday's ceremony will allow the president to fulfill a crucial campaign promise during a politically opportune time. The 2012 presidential race is roiling and Republicans are in a ferocious battle to determine who will face off against Obama in the election. Panetta acknowledged the difficulties for Iraq in the coming years, as the country tries to find its
footing. "They're going face challenges in the future," Panetta said Wednesday during a visit with troops in Afghanistan. "They'll face challenges from terrorism, they'll face challenges from those that would want to divide their country. They'll face challenges from just the test of democracy, a new democracy and trying to make it work. But the fact is, we have given them the opportunity to be able to succeed." The ceremony at Baghdad International Airport also featured remarks from Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen. Lloyd Austin, the top U.S. commander in Iraq. Austin is leading the massive logistical challenge of shuttering hundreds of bases and combat outposts, and methodically moving more than 50,000 U.S. troops and their equipment out of Iraq over the last year — while still conducting training, security assistance and counterterrorism battles. The war "tested our military's strength and our ability to adapt and evolve," he said, noting the development of the new counterinsurgency doctrine. Over the coming days, the final few thousand U.S. troops will leave Iraq in orderly caravans and tightly scheduled flights — a marked contrast to the shock and awe that rocked the country on March 20, 2003, as the U.S. invasion began. Saddam Hussein has been ousted, the reports of weapons of mass destruction largely laid to rest. And the future of a nascent democracy awaits.
COSTS Continued from page 4 Iraqi Unemployment Rate - 27 to 60%, where curfew not in effect Consumer Price Inflation in 2006 - 50% Iraqi Children Suffering from Chronic Malnutrition - 28% in June 2007 (Per CNN.com, July 30, 2007) Percent of professionals who have left Iraq since 2003 - 40% Iraqi Physicians Before 2003 Invasion - 34,000 Iraqi Physicians Who Have Left Iraq Since 2005 Invasion - 12,000 Iraqi Physicians Murdered Since 2003 Invasion - 2,000 Average Daily Hours Iraqi Homes Have Electricity - 1 to 2 hours, per Ryan Crocker, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq (Per Los Angeles Times, July 27, 2007) Average Daily Hours Iraqi Homes Have Electricity - 10.9 in May 2007 Average Daily Hours Baghdad Homes Have Electricity - 5.6 in May 2007 Pre-War Daily Hours Baghdad Homes Have Electricity - 16 to 24 Number of Iraqi Homes Connected to Sewer Systems - 37% Iraqis without access to adequate water supplies - 70% (Per CNN.com, July 30, 2007) Water Treatment Plants Rehabilitated - 22% RESULTS OF POLL Taken in Iraq in August 2005 by the British Ministry of Defense (Source: Brookings Institute) Iraqis “strongly opposed to presence of coalition troops - 82% Iraqis who believe Coalition forces are responsible for any improvement in security - less than 1% Iraqis who feel less ecure because of the occupation - 67% Iraqis who do not have confidence in multi-national forces - 72%
Congratulations San Diego Monitor News For 25 years of printing. What would we do if we did not have you? Thank You, From Wanda Rogers
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Better Life Chapter 72 OUR VISION We will become a National Chapter having a far reaching effect on membership and accountability to our fellow servicemen & women. Providing access to services which include health/welfare Initiatives. To create a safe and positive environment for fellowship and networking. To create health and human service benefits. The purpose of NABVETS Better Life Chapter 72 is to assist the Department of Veteran Affairs in finding creative ways of addressing the growing needs of the American Veteran, focusing on our heroes, utilizing the customer service model, a quality approach, providing technical assistance, bridging the void for mainstream services to all veterans, bringing health and human services. On December 18, 2010, Region 1 Commander Harvey Brooks and his Deputy Commander Lloyd Burroughs in an Inauguration Ceremony in San Diego, California bestowed the NABVETS Charter to Commander Othan “Nate� Mondy for the Better Life Chapter 72. NABVETS, Better Life Chapter 72, will continue to celebrate, preserve, and educate the nation about the contributions of veterans, particularly Black veterans who have been under-represented in the historical record. Better Life Chapter 72 is working tirelessly in unity with the community to end homelessness, empower low-income and minority Veterans and reinvigorate the sense of pride and honor throughout the Veteran Community.
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IS THE VOTER’S POLL TAX BACK? By Rachel Maddow Blog/MSNBC In historic terms, poll taxes served to put a price on a voting and keep African Americans from getting a ballot. Poll taxes were banned from federal elections in 1964, with the ratifying of the 24th Amendment. The next year, the Voting Rights Act made the poll tax illegal in local and state elections, too. But the poll tax -- or at least the idea of having to pay money before you can vote -- is making a comeback. In Mississippi, for instance, voters last month approved a constitutional amendment that says you have to show photo ID in order to vote. The IDs are free, but you need a birth certificate to get one, and those cost $15. Wisconsin also has a new law requiring you to show ID you never had to show before in order to vote; that state will also give you an ID, if you can figure out how to ask, but you have to show a birth certificate. In Wisconsin, birth certificates cost $20. Meet Ruthelle Frank of Brokaw, Wisconsin, a village board member who was born at home and has no birth certificate. From the Wausau Daily Herald: Though Frank never had a birth certificate, the state Register of Deeds in Madison has a record of her birth. It can generate a birth certificate for her -- for a fee. Normally, the cost is $20. "I look at that like paying a fee to vote," Frank said. And for Frank, that might not be the end of it. The attending physician at Frank's birth mis-
spelled her maiden name, which was Wedepohl. To get a birth certificate that has correct information, she will have to petition a court to amend the document -- a weekslong process that could cost $200 or more. Ms. Frank's choices now amount to paying the money or missing her first election since 1948. She has a mild disability but says she gets around all right and won't take an exception for being "indefinitely confined." "That would be lying," she says. Governor Scott Walker has said there's no reason to worry about the new law because the state has more people with photo ID's than it does registered voters. Pretzel logic aside, the Wausau paper says 177,399 Wisconsin seniors don't have driver's licenses or photo ID's. In Wisconsin's 2004 election saw seven fraudulent votes out of three million, all of them felons who'd lost their voting rights. I'm not sure how requiring a photo ID would have prevented them from voting. The presumption in voting used to be that the barriers were low because voting was sacred and everyone eligible should be given the chance to cast a ballot. It's not the same as driving a car or buying cold medicine, as the backers of these bills like to argue. It's voting, the house our democracy lives in. Wisconsin State Senators Spencer Coggs and Jim Holperin, both Democrats, are trying to get the fee for birth certificates waived, but they're not getting much help.
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Perspective on IRAQ Ending the war in Iraq: Perspectives from an African-American veteran By Chris Rey, Iraq and Afghanistan veteran and newly elected mayor of Spring Lake, N.C. Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 12:04 p.m. ET When you think about the characteristics you look for in a commander-in-chief, there are a few things that come to mind: leadership, vision, commitment, integrity and discipline. Now, I am sure there are plenty of other words that could be used, but these words to me sum up President Obama and his commitment to the American people to bring our troops back home. The President has stated that he would end the Iraq war on a timetable that would be responsible, and that is what he has done. In February 2009 the President shared with the American people his plan to end the war in Iraq and bring our troops home. His leadership has proven steadfast in this commitment. The President understands the challenges we now face at home and that our focus now has to be on rebuilding our own country. I believe that the responsible leadership that he provided to bring the war to an end will be the same type of leadership he will provide to get our economy moving. As of October 2 0 1 1 , 850,000 veterans are looking for work. The President is committed to making sure that troops who transition from the military force have opportunities provided for veterans in the work force. It will take someone with vision to make it all happen, and I believe this commander-in-chief is that person. He has lead on ending the war and he is leading on supporting our veterans and military families as they return to civilian life.
Reflections on the end of the Iraq war: A female veteran’s perspective Posted by Jennifer Smolen, Former Sgt., U.S. Army on Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 12:15 p.m. ET Millions of U.S. service members have sacrificed physical health, careers, marriages, personal and professional relationships, mental health—and thousands of troops and family members have been made to deal with the ultimate sacrifice—during the Iraq War over the past ten years. As a veteran of Operation of Iraqi Freedom, I can relate to some of the challenges of returning from a combat zone and facing the task of finding “real life” once again. Some who have faced the difficult reintegration phase ultimately have not survived the transition, including a friend of mine. For these reasons and others, I appreciate the President’s actions in ending the United States' war in Iraq. Ending the war in Iraq means we can redirect U.S. dollars back to the U.S. It means reinvesting in our own crumbling infrastructure, in our own population, and in our own domestic and foreign vision for our future. It is time the Iraqi people prioritize the needs and demands of their own sovereign government, and time their forces fight their peoples’ war. According to senior U.S. military officials, the Iraqi forces are now doing just that, and according to President Obama’s visit with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the two nations are each on track to move forward under this newest arrangement. My peers and I signed up to serve our armed forces because we were willing to do the job—and then we deployed because beginning in 2001, that’s what the U.S. asked of us. President Obama said in 2009 he would end this war, because that’s what the American people asked of him. The U.S. combat mission in Iraq has already ended, and by the end of 2011 our troop presence will be concluded as well. This month the rest of the US combat troops in Iraq are redeploying home. Our nation’s armed forces stand ready to do the job of defending the US against all enemies, foreign and domestic, as we agreed. It’s nice to see our commander-in-chief doing his job as well, bringing the troops home when it’s time.
“Our Veterans Should Never Have to Come Home to an Uncertain Future” By Alex Cornell du Houx, State Rep, Brunswick Maine, USMC and Iraq Veteran on November 11, 2011 hen I returned from my deployment with the Marines, so many others in my company came home to no job and an uncertain future. We are fortunate that some jobs are being created, but the unemployment rate for veterans is still more than 25 percent higher than the national average. Our veterans should never come home--after dedicating themselves to making America stronger--to face an uncertain future where they are struggling to make ends meet. As commander in chief, President Obama is honoring our veterans by putting forward parts of the American Jobs Act that would provide tax credits to businesses that hire unemployed and disabled veterans and expand job training for those newly back from war. Yesterday the Senate approved legislation that gives incentives for businesses to hire returning veterans. The House will be voting next week. In addition, President Obama is taking action now by implementing three programs that will help veterans transition into the civilian world and find employment. These are: Veteran Gold Card: Effective today, post-9/11 veterans will be able to download the Veteran Gold Card, which entitles them to enhanced services including six months of personalized case management, assessments and counseling, at the roughly 3,000 One-Stop Career Centers located across the country. This could help serve the more than 200,000 unemployed post-9/11 veterans. My Next Move for Veterans: The Department of Labor is launching My Next Move for Veterans, a new online resource that allows veterans to enter their military occupation code and discover civilian occupations for which they are well qualified. The site will also include information about salaries, apprenticeships, and other related education and training programs. Creating a Veterans Job Bank: The Obama Administration is launching the Veterans Jobs Bank, an easy to use tool to help veterans find job postings from companies looking to hire them. It already searches over 500,000 job postings and is growing every day. In a few easy steps, companies can make sure the job postings on their own
W
websites are part of the veterans jobs bank. “Our Veterans Should Never Have to Come Home to an Uncertain Future” By Alex Cornell du Houx, State Rep, Brunswick Maine, USMC and Iraq Veteran on November 11, 2011 When I returned from my deployment with the Marines, so many others in my company came home to no job and an uncertain future. We are fortunate that some jobs are being created, but the unemployment rate for veterans is still more than 25 percent higher than the national average. Our veterans should never come home--after dedicating themselves to making America stronger--to face an uncertain future where they are struggling to make ends meet. As commander in chief, President Obama is honoring our veterans by putting forward parts of the American Jobs Act that would provide tax credits to businesses that hire unemployed and disabled veterans and expand job training for those newly back from war. Yesterday the Senate approved legislation that gives incentives for businesses to hire returning veterans. The House will be voting next week. In addition, President Obama is taking action now by implementing three programs that will help veterans transition into the civilian world and find employment. These are: Veteran Gold Card: Effective today, post-9/11 veterans will be able to download the Veteran Gold Card, which entitles them to enhanced services including six months of
personalized case management, assessments and counseling , at the roughly 3,000 One-Stop Career Centers located across the country. This could help serve the more than 200,000 unemployed post-9/11 veterans. My Next Move for Veterans: The Department of Labor is launching My Next Move for Veterans, a new online resource that allows veterans to enter their military occupation code and discover civilian occupations for which they are well qualified. The site will also include information about salaries, apprenticeships, and other related education and training programs. Creating a Veterans Job Bank: The Obama Administration is launching the Veterans Jobs Bank, an easy to use tool to help veterans find job postings from companies looking to hire them. It already searches over 500,000 job postings and is growing every day. In a few easy steps, companies can make sure the job postings on their own websites are part of the veterans jobs bank.
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PAID JOB TRAINING FOR VETERANS AVAILABLE NOW IN SAN DIEGO (President Obama Signs Bill Into Law to Help Vets Get Jobs) On November 21, 2011, President Barack Obama signed into law a bill that will help unemployed veterans get jobs. As a result of this new jobs incentive bill, a Veteran Jobs and Sales Training class-has been established in San Diego, CA for area veterans, AND their spouses. The training will be 100% paid by VA benefits under the G.l Bill. In addition, Vets who enroll will receive $10.00 per hour for attending classes. They will also do internships with local companies that have committed to hiring vets. This is a 16 week Sales Training program. Enrollments for the Dec. 20, 2011 training class and the Jan 2 2012 class are still being accepted. Limited to veterans and their spouses. If you'd like more information on how you or your spouse can enroll imthis Veterans Job Sales training, please contact Regina Williamson, Veteran recruitment Manager at 619-813-3400 or email at Reginastory@cox.net
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Again, in a show of realpoliticks, the House (Republicans) has passed a controversial bill that will again divide democracy in Congress and hurt struggling Middle Class Americans: the extended payroll tax bill (12/13/2011). In one of my many previous articles, I have educated readers on what was Realpoliticks? And in that article as well as others I have vehemently described how House Republicans are taking Congress by storm—not just by numbers but by strategic political maneuvers to gain power. And so what they have done is pass a bill that would help Americans but called for a construction of the Keystone KL oil pipeline that would scale back an air-pollution rule, cut Obama’s health reform law and reduce the length of unemployment benefits. In essence, they attached the keystone oil project onto the payroll tax bill. With 14,000,000,000 Americans out of work, thousands on unemployment assurance, and an staggering economy, this payroll tax bill would extend the current 4.2 percent payroll tax rate to 160 million Americans, which would help prevent a $1,000 annual tax increase for many families starting Jan. 1. But by attaching an oil pipeline onto the bill is suicide and immature. This is probably the worst political maneuver that the House Republican could ever do. What will happen next is the bill will be introduced in the Senate, the Senate will shoot it down (and if not the President will veto it), and then we are faced with another governmental shutdown. All the while, House Republicans are asking for a holiday break. This is not democracy; this is again
reinforcing old political tactics that has been used by Richard Nixon and George Bush: blackmail compromising in exchange for power. They listened to Obama’s demands to help Middle Class Americans, and secretly obstructed the political balance in Congress. House Republicans may claim that it will put Americans back to work, but how can you put Americans to work when this oil project calls for a multi-dollar expenditure (money that we don’t have). In spite of this, we are still faced with another government shutdown. My hope is that America will finally open their eyes and see what Congress is doing; and not point fingers at President Obama. Congress has the power to make wars and end wars—Iraqi Troop Withdrawal 2011 (Republicans in opposition)—and it has power to make all Americans prosperous. Republicans need to take out the oil project and put the Payroll Tax bill to a vote. Let’s solve this problem democratically.
To contact me via email: princesefab@gmail.com and follow me on Facebook.
New Buzzword: Backlinks! They Make Up For 80% Of Your Search Ranking! Who Knew? We Knew! Greg “The Internet Guy” Wilson Most search engine professionals would agree that what you do to your website, only accounts for 20% of your search ranking, backlinks account for 80% of your ranking. A backlink is simple, it’s just a link from one website to another website, but it represents a “vote of confidence” for your website! Do a Google search for “click here”. Adobe appears first.. why? It does not appear anywhere on their website, but because so many websites recommend and use their product that the phrase to download Adobe Reader “click here” contained this phrase on their sites, this evidence proves the power of the back-linking, being #1 going up against over 3.6 billion competitors. Wouldn’t you love a 100% white-hat method of getting relevant links to your website? The answer is Article Marketing. Writing high-quality, articles, and submitting them to a known network of over 50,000 blog and article directories. The owners of these networks need and want great quality content on their sites because they depend on the AdSense dollars coming in from advertising on their sites! This is what makes it completely white-hat! We don’t need to buy links anymore. As we submit to these directories, about 150-250 directories will accept and publish our articles, depending on the topic in exchange we get links. We know which off-site sites will give us a stronger backlink. This is why it is so important to develop your offsite website assets, the more backlinks you have, the higher you will climb up the search results. One question I get is: What is the advantage of appearing high on the results? The simple answer would be: the #1 position gets 48% of the total clicks, #2 position gets only 8%, #3 position gets around 6%-7%. All of the pages that are NOT on page #1 share total 3% of the clicks. Again it’s the difference between being in the market or owning your market! If you are not on page #1, you need to get there first, then once you start getting traffic flooding your landing/squeeze page, it’s time to perfect the sales message and conversion methods. When it comes to internet surfers, they may only visit your site one time! Make it count. If you have a website or landing page, and you are not on page #1, you need my help. I would be happy to work with you to develop a marketing plan tailored to your business/industry. When it comes to internet marketing SEO (search engine optimization) tactics, onsite is work normally performed initially by your web designer, but offsite SEO is totally different, requires specialized research, seo copywriting skills, as well as focused, steady, drip-feed syndication of this high-quality content over time, for smooth natural link building. Greg Wilson is a search engine optimization specialist in San Diego California. He can be reached directly at: Office: 858-386-0949 Friend me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greg.wilsonbiz Follow Me on Twitter @GreggWilson
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Going green on hair treatment Sharon Mc Clean-Brown: A Miracle from Florida I consider myself to be pretty accomplished, having written the first Black barber and beauty book, carved out the first African pick comb for America, as well as traveled the world over. So when I received a call from a woman named Ms. Chazz, wanting me to make her a formula for an organic green product, I had no idea she would wow me with her work. I did make Ms. Chazz the product she requested, and she has hit the ground running. She sent me a video of her work, which can only be described as a miracle performed right before your eyes. But not only that, she shot a video of what the product does to the hair step-by-step. She took the product to a new level, unknown even to me the creator. I have done a lot of work in my time, but I have not seen work at the level of beauty with the product made especially for her in San Diego. We are so proud of what this woman can do and what she will continue to do in the future. - Willie Morrow By By Nicole S Farrell While Sharon Mc Clean-Brown, known as Ms Shazz, might have resided in the United States for over two decades, she would visit her native land as often as time and business permit. "My friend, Zorina Hosein, nicknamed me 'Ms Shazz' and I decided to use it as my brand." Originally from Belmont, Shazz, as she is also called, was business-oriented from a young age. "I started my own business at 18 years old but after several years, I didn't find it challenging anymore. Then one year when I imported a skincare and make-up line, I was so frustrated with the way local customs did business I knew something had to change. By the time I received the goods the make-up was broken, lipsticks were melted That was the straw that broke the camel's back." With a system in mind as to how she'd accom- Sharon Mc Clean-Brown plish her goals in a timely fashion, Shazz set about her business in Uncle Sam's land. Now several salons and homes later, if any celebrity wants anything, the word in their circle is, "Call Shazz". Based in Ft Lauderdale, Florida, she is considered a celebrity make-up artist, hairstylist and agent who many call directly for her services. Being the go-to person for music videos, movies, print and television, she has provided services directly and indirectly, for celebrities like Beyonce, Venus Williams, Ashanti, Jill Scott, Diddy, Cedric the Entertainer, LL Cool J, Jasmine Sullivan, Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, Kirk Franklin, and the list continues extensively. Her screen credits are as extensive as they are impressive, with work on Basketball Wives, which is produced by Shaquille O'Neal's ex-wife; Bad Boys, which starred Martin Lawrence and Will Smith.. Not forgetting her roots, Shazz recalled, "Even Carol Addison used me as she was always the opening act for concerts here in Trinidad. So I'd do her make-up and hair." Continued on page 15
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Just Keeping It Real With Angela Harris Relationship Coversations OMNILOGUE© - “All of us communicating with each other, so that we all come to a collective understanding, so that we all work toward the same goal.” ©
Leadership for Unity in the Community It is easy to tear down. It is more difficult to build. There is a division in our own community, our own family, our own house. There are those of us who are working to bring all aspects of our community into unity and harmony, and there are those who don’t seem to value this unity as highly. There are those of us who sacrifice our own self-interest in favor of the greater interest of the whole, and those who do what they want to do, in spite of the consequences to the community. The difference is found in the way we communicate. Some of us are engaged in building the Omnilogue – all of us communicating with EACH OTHER. Some of us have trouble engaging in the discussion with the rest of us, and seem to take their marching orders from outside the community. Some of us seem to let our emotions speak to those outside the community, rather than come and “reason together” within the community. I am told over and over again that there are no real leaders in the African American community of San Diego. I know that this is not true. I know many leaders in the African American community in San Diego. I think our challenge is that we have not yet learned to come together on a regular basis to talk about each of our roles in the Black community, set aside our egos, evaluate the gaps we have in getting our needs met, and strategize solutions to those issues. I think a great start is for everyone who possibly can to MAKE IT YOUR HIGHEST PRIORITY TO BE AT EVERY COMMUNITY FORUM HOSTED BY DR. JOHN WARREN of the Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper. (Yes, you heard it here.) The next one will be held at Market Creek Plaza - 404 Euclid Avenue, San Diego, CA 92114 on January 26th, 2012 from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Unfortunately, I think our community also suffers from residual Willie Lynch Syndrome. For those of you who don’t know, this is a condition where Africans in America, as a group, have been taught, trained and programmed by “the man” or “the system” for centuries to hate certain aspects of ourselves (“nappy hair”), or hate ourselves in essence (“jungle bunny”), or hate ourselves totally (“nigger”). After all, if Black ain’t beautiful, and I am Black, then I must not be beautiful – and neither is any other Black person. Therefore, we ALL Black people as ugly, evil, untrustworthy, dangerous and stupid. This type of thinking is still alive and well in the Black community of San Diego. How do we get over it? I’ll tell you next week. Luv y’all too very much. Peace. :) Love Your Neighbor. CMH [Say It Loud, “I’m Black And I’m Proud.” James Brown] clovis.honore@yahoo.com
Twelve Days to Christmas
In the days leading up to the actual day of the birth of Christ, explore these ways of sharing the love of Jesus with your children, friends, and family. 1. Commit a portion of your holiday dollars to buying some items for those in need and allow your children and family members to go with you to present them. I know my niece’s little heart just breaks when she has the opportunity to see the joyous expression on the face of a child to whom she gives a gift. Especially when she sees that the child has so little and she has so much. This teaches children and others the joy of giving. 2. Give away something that means a great deal to you. This teaches sacrifice. It is easy to give away something you If you have questions you would no longer need or use. It is another thing to give away some- like answered or topics discussed, thing that you still treasure. please send all questions to face3. Make up coupons to give to your children. Put them in book.com/connectwithangelaharyour child’s lunch box or backpack where they are sure to ris or email: find them. (Wives, this also works well with your husband. theharrisgroup@cox.net or What a great way to keep the spice in your marriage.) Here twitter@KeepingitealAH. For more articles are a few suggestions for your coupons: www.keepingitrealwithangela • You are entitled to one hug, just because. harris.blogspot.com • You are entitled to one big wet kiss, just because. • You are entitled to one afternoon alone with Mommy. • You choose one movie night. • I Love You (given the 1st day of the week.) • You are so special to me and because you are you are entitled to do whatever you want to do today. • I am glad God blessed me with you so that entitles you to breakfast in bed. • Jesus loves You and to show it this coupon is redeemable to for a full body massage. • The angels are watching over you when I am not around and to prove it you, you may take the day off and leave everything up to me. 4. Go to a shelter and share your love and time with the people. 5. Go to a convalescent home and sing carols to the residents. 6. Go out to a homeless camp and take some warm clothes and food. 7. Stop to give food, a smile, and a warm word (tell them that Jesus loves them), to a beggar on the street. 8. Gather the kids, friends, and family and purpose in your hearts to go Christmas caroling at the senior apartment communities. 9. Visit the children’s ward of a hospital to sing Christmas carols. 10. Take a bag of gifts to the county orphanage. 11. Fix a birthday cake for Jesus and sing happy birthday to Him. Bring gifts to Him. Make this fun. Let your children be creative. Wrap them up, open them, and share with Jesus why you think this gift would be perfect for Him. 12. Read the true Christmas story to your family, friends and your children’s friends. Make it festive. Have hot chocolate and save some of the birthday cake. Re-light the candles and let the children blow out the candles for Christ. (www.keepingitrealwithangelaharris.blogspot.com for the true story of Christ birth. Some great pictures to enjoy along with the story) Make this a yearly event so you can do your part to remind your sphere of influence just what Christmas is all about. This dish from the hot internet talk show Keeping it real with Angela Harris: This we week we focused in the kindness of strangers during Christmas. We spoke of a movement in the mid-west at K-MART of individuals paying off layaways for families. Individuals who had been touched by such kindness in their past chimed in sharing what an emotional moment it was for them to be a recipient. We discussed the fact that over 14M people are still paying off last years Christmas gifts and the importance of remembering the reason for the season – important note: do not go in debt for Christmas – that’s truly a bah humbug condition to be in!! Catch hot internet talk Monday-Friday 11AM to 12NOON PST Keeping it real with Angela Harris on kepxradio.com.
Electronic Edition of the San Diego Monitor News Now Available The San Diego Monitor News is now making available electronic subscriptions to the paper at no cost. Moving the San Diego Monitor into the electronic age is a move toward helping our readers stay in touch with what Black people are doing throughout America. Send an to email virgiej2001@aol.com to be added to the weekly email edition of the paper. Or you may contact our office at (619) 668-1007.
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SHAZZ Continued from page 13 They always say that success is the best revenge as she recalled that her secondary school teacher told her that she was "going to be a failure in society". She was just 14 years old. In a conversation with said teacher, Ms Shazz was asked what her future goals were, to which she responded that she'd like to own her own business, even if it meant selling snow cones – and if that was the case, she'd be great at it! One of Ms Shazz's clients was the R&B artiste, Aaliyah, who died in a plane crash almost a decade ago. Shazz was supposed to be on that music video shoot in the Caribbean. "I had this premonition and pulled my team from the project at the last minute. When I heard what had happened, I didn't cry until three months after." Her work ethic is unshakable and her motivation is clear. "I give whatever, whenever, as long as you need. Whether one needs make-up and hair done, bodyguards, a babysitter while on set, and everything in between. I always tell people that I am best at answering my phone." Being around Shazz, you quickly realise that she is as friendly as she is no-nonsense, and maybe the latter has to be that way to hold her own. "I am a professional, I am no fan. When I go on-set, I am there to work, whether I'm acting as an agent or actually working in make-up or hair.. You don't have to like me, just respect me." She recounted an incident in which she boldly approached a celebrity who owed one of her employees a measly $580.00 for an emergency tailoring service before an award show. As she dramatised the exchange, tears sprang to my eyes as I laughed hard at how she mimicked the celebrity's exaggerated gestures as he repeatedly shouted, "Get away from me!" While her work brings joy, sadness was centred around her visit this time. Her son's near-death experience brought her here in late August for what she thought would have been 10 days. Now as he slowly recovers, she still manages her business, thousands of miles from where she calls home. Within recent years, Shazz began her own line of hair treatment products for adults and children; one of which is referred to as "the first eco-organic hair smoothing system – a green alternative to chemical relaxer". Shazz is very passionate about her mission to change the way people treat their hair. "Research has shown that the chemicals from relaxers get into the bloodstream. Why do you think hairdressers use gloves? It is a harsh product. Over the years, I've seen 14-year-old girls end up wearing wigs and weaves because their natural hair has been damaged by chemical treatments. Once I came across a woman who put a curl on her eightmonth old child. I wondered if she was crazy! "I wanted to turn glam, green and take the pain out of beauty one strand at a time." Shazz is not wasting time spreading the word and the wonders of her products as she has certified 55 local hairdressers since she's been here. Her kHEMPhREE products are chemical-free with a PH balance and it adjusts the texture of the hair without altering the physical structure. The products maintain the natural integrity of the hair; increases the versatility of your styling options and infuses moisture in the hair. One can choose from a selection of almost a dozen products from the line; some of which are shampoos, conditioners and thermal cremes. Hair colour treatments will be added to the line in the near future. "Now there are natural and organic products so they're not one and the same." she cautioned. Shazz showed several before-and-after pictures and videos and the results were astounding. One treatment style that many hairdressers adopt annoys Shazz. "There are hairdressers who practically beat the relaxer on to the scalp or rake through the hair. That is so wrong.!" Frequent use of the usual relaxer can damage hair as well. "I have a transition treatment that can last as long as seven months or even up to a year, depending on your hair texture." No stranger to doing things in a classy way, Shazz has planned a formal four-day launch of her line set to begin on March 30, 2012 at Hyatt Regency Trinidad. "I want people to know their options, whether they're white, black or Indian. I want it to be a global explosion" You can visit her web sites www.kHEMPhREE.com and www.NATRALAXA.com.
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HOW THE BODY WORKS By Lady Topaz If you want to be relatively free of the fear of not knowing enough about your health that you have to rely on others to make big decisions for you, it is critical that you take some time to learn about how your body works. The goal of this series of articles is to give you a broad look at the major organ systems in your body and how they work together to keep you well. As you read this series, I encourage you to adopt the mindset of having to learn this material well enough to teach it to a group of junior high school students - this mindset should lead to an excellent understanding of how to care for your health. Before we look at the major organ systems that work to keep you well, let’s first review some basic definitions. You are likely familiar with most or all of the major organs in your body. Your brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, stomach, liver, gall bladder, spleen, and pancreas are well known examples of organs. Less well known organs are your bones and skin. Your organs are collections of specialized tissues, and your tissues are collections of groups of cells. So in reverse order, a simple, big picture look at your anatomical make-up looks like this: Your cells are the basic living units that make up your body. Groups of cells come together to form specialized tissues. Groups of tissues come together to form your organs. This bird’s eye view of your physical makeup is important because it highlights the following point: The health of every organ in your body is determined by the health of the cells that make up your organs. When the majority of cells that make up any organ in your body are healthy, that organ is likely to be healthy; the converse is true as well - when most of the cells that make up one of your organs are dysfunctional
or diseased, that organ is likely to be dysfunctional. Given all of the above, it makes sense, then, that taking care of your organs requires that you take care of your cells. The most important determinant of the health of every cell in your body is the quality of blood that is supplied for ongoing nourishment and removal of waste products. The blood that your heart pumps to all of your cells delivers nutrients and oxygen to fuel ongoing energy production within your cells. Steady blood flow also ensures regular removal of waste materials from your cells, which keeps your cells uncluttered and free to function properly. The cells that make up your heart are no different than the rest of the cells in your body your cardiac cells also require a steady supply of blood, nutrients, and oxygen, and your cardiac cells receive these things via your coronary arteries. Just as your heart delivers nutrients and oxygen to the cells of your kidneys, stomach, and liver, your heart also delivers nutrients and oxygen to its own cells. If, over time, your coronary arteries become damaged and less capable of delivering a steady supply of blood to the cells of your heart, you may experience chest pain, shortness of breath, and other symptoms that are typical of a heart attack. Heart attacks are usually caused by some degree of blockage in the coronary arteries. If the cells of your heart do not receive steady, quality blood flow, your heart will eventually lose its capacity to pump blood, nutrients, and oxygen to the rest of your body. The main point here is this: all of the cells that make up the many organs in your body have the same basic requirements to stay healthy, with the first and most important requirement being steady blood flow. Clearly, the healthier your diet and lifestyle are, the healthier your blood will be. And the healthier your blood is, the healthier your cells will be. It is true that certain foods and substances are known to have specific effects on specific organs. For example, we know that eating foods that are rich in the omega-3 fatty acid, DHA, is good for promoting optimal brain function. We Continued on page 18
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The Holidays…. Part 2 As soon as I get back to California I am headed straight to the Hotel Del Coronado. Yes, sir I am going to strap on a pair of ice skates and glide across the ice as if I am a figurine skater. Can’t you just see yourself being a Tanya Harding out there on that ice, lol. Of course without any physical harm to anyone else or maybe you would accidently. I haven’t been on the ice this year and its burning me up to get there. The Hotel Del Coronado presents Skating by the Sea outdoor ice skating over looking the Pacific Ocean annually. The skating schedule for this weekend has a daily matinee from 11 am to 1 pm, for a complete schedule visit their website at www.hoteldel.com. The price for adults is $25, for kids 10 and under $20 which includes skates. Something new on my list this holiday season is to visit the Del Mar Fair Grounds. It has come to my attention that the Holiday of Lights at the Del Mar Fair is a fun and festive way to celebrate the season. You can take a car load of folks, well up to 5 and it only cost you $14; for 6 or more people it will cost you $19 per vehicle. You can also add a Hay Ride for an additional $10 per person for ages 4 and up. The Hay ride includes a lights tour, hot chocolate or cider and a Holiday cookie. There are Fire pits where you can roast your marshmallows and listen to Holiday music before or after you board your Hay ride. Sounds like lots of fun and I am so eager to check it out. You know I’m all about a bargain so if you’re looking to save some money or your admission you can go to Albertson’s to get your discount tickets for $12. You can also visit the website to download a coupon for $1.50 per vehicle at www.holidayoflights.com If you are low on funds you can head over to the City of Hope International Church of Faith Chapel this Friday, December 16, 2011 for Free Entertainment and Food. The church is also signing people up for “Free Health Care” for San Diego County Low Income Health Program. Please call the church office for additional information at (619) 266-2626. Once you enjoyed yourself on Sunday for Free Food and Entertainment don’t stop their head over to St. Stephen’s church on Sunday, December 18th at 6 pm for a Christmas Sing-A-Long with Free music, Eggnog, Apple Cider, and Desserts. For more information contact (619) 262-2671. Remember the Holidays is what you make it, it’s a mindset. You may contact me for all your vacation needs at (619) 757-0175 or visit my website at www.straighttravel.biz • Your Chief Vacation Specialist: Ebony Hope Taylor
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Continued from page 16 also know that eating foods that are rich in vitamin D can help promote healthy bones and teeth. But, it is incorrect to think that these nutrients produce only these specific results. When you eat foods that are rich in DHA and vitamin D, these nutrients touch all of your cells, not just the cells that make up your brain, bones, and teeth. In the same vein, when you expose yourself to prescription drugs, recreational drugs, and other environmental pollutants, all of your cells are touched - there is no such thing as a “side” effect. So, now that we have hammered home the principle that the health of your organs is determined by the health of your cells, and that the health of your cells is determined by all of your daily food and lifestyle choices, let’s move on to an overview of your organ systems. You have eleven organ systems that govern all of your physiological activities. They are as follows: Nervous System Endocrine System Cardiovascular System Respiratory System Digestive System Urinary System Muscular System Skeletal System Integumentary (Skin) System Immune System (includes Lymphatic System) Reproductive System Aside: Not included in any of the organ systems listed above are “special sense” organs that you need to see, hear, smell, taste, and maintain your balance. Each of your organ systems are groups of organs that work together to carry out specific duties in your body. For example, your digestive system is an organ system that requires contributions from a number of organs, including your stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, pancreas, and gall bladder; all of these organs work together to digest the foods that you eat, and transfer the nutrients in the foods that you eat from your small intestine to your cells. Some organs contribute essential work to more than one organ system. For example, your pancreas plays an important role within your digestive system by secreting digestive enzymes into your small intestine, but your pancreas is also an irreplaceable component of your endocrine system, as it produces three important hormones that are secreted into your bloodstream and have system-wide effects. Finally, it is important to point out that all of your organ systems affect one another. We have already looked at one example of this: Your cardiovascular system keeps all of your other organ
systems going by supplying blood, nutrients, and oxygen to all of your cells. Here are more examples that illustrate the interdependence of your organ systems: All of your organ systems are regulated by your nervous and endocrine systems - these two systems are co-directors of all of your body’s moment-to-moment activities. Your urinary system is essential to maintaining fluid and pH balance within all of your organ systems. Your respiratory system brings in the oxygen that your cardiovascular system delivers to all of your cells. Your respiratory system also plays a vital role in maintaining your blood pH. Your integumentary (skin) and immune systems play critical roles in preventing life-threatening infections of all of your other organ systems. Your muscular system allows you to move (making the rest of your organ systems relevant to your existence). Your muscular system also serves as an important reservoir for your endocrine system. Your skeletal system provides physical protection and structural support for your other organ systems. And perhaps the most obvious example: Your digestive system provides fuel for all of your other organ systems to use to produce energy. We will look at each of your organ systems in more detail in future articles in this series on how your body works. Here are the main points to take away from this article: All of your organs are influenced by all of your food and lifestyle choices. There’s virtually no way to affect just one organ system via a specific diet or therapy. Whenever one of your organ systems improves or declines in health, the rest of your organ systems follow suit to some degree. The health of each of your organs is determined by the health of the cells that make up your organs. And all of your cells have the same basic requirements to stay healthy. Here is to your EXCELLENT health! And, revving up to a fabulous new you in the New Year! ;-) ********************** For additional information on healthy, holistic, nutritional supplements that will assist you with your healthy lifestyle Topaz with your thoughts and/or inquiries at topazstjames@gmail.com. Topaz began practicing holistic living in 2005, first in an effort to become a better bride and gain back balance in life. Eager to stay off of conventional medicine to ward off the effects of lupus and rheumatoid arthritis she has stayed par for the course by studying nutrition and alternative homeopathic medicine through Dr. Kevin D. Holder, Isagenix, and locally, Southwestern College.
San Diego Monitor Editorial Staff Publisher and Editor Dr. Willie Morrow
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Associate Publisher Gloria Morrow News and Copy Editor Cheryl Morrow
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Unemployment Hits Record Low, Oprah Returning To Talk on OWN
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By Jonathan Harris, Columnist Unemployment Dips To Lowest Point Since 2009 The United states economy added 120,000 jobs in November according to Friday’s report from the Labor Department. These numbers caused the unemployment rate to dip to %8.6 (down from %9 in October). According to the labor report 50,000 of the 120,000 jobs added came from retail, which often increases payroll during the holiday season. Oprah Returning To Talk Amidst OWN’s Ratings Struggles In the middle of the widely reported ratings struggles for her new network OWN, Oprah will return to the talk format that made her famous, albeit in a tweaked format. Oprah’s new show, ‘Oprah’s Next Chapter’ will be a weekly interview show which will involve the former Queen of Daytime talking with public figures outside the studio setting. On the difference between ‘Oprah’s Next Chapter’ and ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ Oprah told TV Guide in a recent interview, “I am out of the chair. I’ve been longing not to be tethered to the studio and constricted by who would come to see me but to be moving through the world exploring new ideas and meeting new people. I love that no one is promoting a new CD, a movie or a book, just having a conversation we hope will elevate viewer consciousness.” Last week it was also announced OWN would begin targeting a black audience due to the success of ‘Welcome to Sweetie Pies’, a reality show filmed around the daily happenings in the ‘Sweetie Pie’s’ restaurant. At 418,000 viewers, the program averages nearly twice the usual viewership for OWN. In her interview with TV Guide Oprah also commented on her optimism about OWN, saying, “I refuse to be discouraged. This is the
thing about being well-known and trying to do anything. When I did “The Color Purple,” Steven Spielberg taught me you can’t believe the good [press] unless you’re also willing to believe the bad. That’s a powerful lesson for not getting distracted by praise — or criticism. You
can’t allow either of them to affect your vision of what you know is true for you. That’s exactly how I feel right now. My thing is stay on course so you can stay the course.” ‘Oprah’s Next Chapter’ debuts in January 2012.
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Linda Vista Second Baptist Church 2706 Korink Avenue, San Diego, CA 92111 Tel. (858) 277-4008 / Fax (858) 277-8441 Email: second-baptist@sbcglobal.net “Welcome to Praise City” Weekly Order of Service Sunday: Early Morning Worship Power Hour Mid-day Worship
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