Be BPA Free

Today while watching Dr. Oz I learned that BPA can be the nasty culprit that increases testosterone in women and in turn increasing the production of body hair typically seen in males.



BPA is an industrial chemical that has been used to make certain plastics and resins since the 1960s. In particular, BPA is found in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Polycarbonate plastics are often used in containers that store food and beverages, such as water bottles, and baby bottles and cups. 





I personally have been drinking LOTS of water from water bottles from all sorts of companies like Dasani, Aquafina and Nestle. Water is supposed to be good for you and it is very alarming to think doing something as simple as drinking water from a bottle can cause an imbalance of hormones in your body. Gee Wiz does anything NOT cause health ailments these days? Is breathing oxygen still safe?





BPA may not go away anytime soon but at least you can do a few things to cut down on exposure.  Think twice about eating canned anything (use homemade or dried soups for example, tomato products out of jars), give your baby breast milk and if you need to use formula, choose the powdered variety, and go BPA-free when drinking out of a water or baby bottle. While you are taking these baby steps, perhaps federal regulators will take the giant steps necessary to bring BPA and other industrial chemicals under control. http://www.doctoroz.com/





First things first I will be buying a BPA FREE water bottle for all of my on the go hydration needs ;0)





Hope you ladies had a relaxing Memorial Day weekend!

The Science of Evil

Last night we watched the documentary, The Science of Evil, which was purposed to discover if every human being is capable of exhibiting characteristics of evil. Of course we all know there are extremes of emotion when it comes to evil. One example discussed in the film was the notorious Jeffrey Dahmer. Jeffrey Dahmer requested to be baptized after being sentenced to death. The priest that performed the baptism questioned his faith and whether or not he should be associated with such a character as well as if one like Dahmer could in fact be forgiven for such heinous acts. What do you think? Does Jesus forgive all who come to him in sorrow?



Now in examples of some not so heinous acts participants of a study were asked questions such as this:

You are a villager who escaped with your child in arms as rebels attacked your village. All the townspeople gather together in a huddle in hiding from the rebels. Your child starts to cry so you put your hand over her mouth but you know that if you keep it there you will not only smother her to death but the rebels will kill all the townspeople. Do you smother your child to save the lives of the other villagers or do you spare one life and sacrifice all others?

Would you consider the mother evil if she chose to smother her child in order to save every one else? Why or why not?



Humans are the only species that is able to perform, feel and think of evil acts. A lion savagely eating a gazelle isn't evil, it is merely a means to survive by way of hunting but a human being savagely eating another human is evil. What makes the difference is our ability to differentiate between what's morally good versus bad. So with that said do you think everyone no matter how good of a person they are is capable of evil? My opinion is YES what's yours?

Top 1 Percent

So last night we watched the documentary entitled Top One Percent, filmed by Jaime Johnson, family member of the Johnson & Johnson brand. I found it quite interesting to get a glimpse of what the top one percent thinks in regards to their wealth, how they amassed their fortune and their thoughts about the poor. I feel two sided about this argument that the rich should pay the way of the poor. As a person who grew up in what I consider to be lower middle class, even in the South Bronx, to now own a home in the suburbs of Atlanta I can truly appreciate hard work and earning your keep. I also have gained an appreciation for the money I earn and duly feel as though I should not be forced by law to take care of those who choose not to exert the same initiative in life to sustain a desired lifestyle.  There is always going to be those who have and have not in the current state of our American world BUT I do not think there has to be such a huge gap between the wealthy and the poor. Individuals who push themselves to become entrepreneurs, build brands, create companies, and invent products should be able to reap the rewards of their hard earned work but at the same time, they would not be where they are without the efforts of their consumers and employees. Shouldn't they reap a reward or kickback too? Do you think we would be better off in an economy where we all earned the same wages and had universal access to things such as healthcare and education?



According to Forbes Magazine here are the top 10 wealthiest people in the world:



1. Carlos Slim (Mexico) - $74 billion, telecommunications

2. Bill Gates (USA) - $56 billion, Microsoft

3. Warren Buffett (USA) - $50 billion, Berkshire Hathaway

4. Bernard Arnault (France) - $41 billion, LVMH

5. Larry Ellison (USA) - $39.5 billion, Oracle Corp

6. Lakshmi Mittal (India) - $31.1 billion, steel

7. Amancio Ortega (Spain) - $31 billion, retail

8. Eike Batista (Brazil) - $30 billion, mining, oil

9. Mukesh Ambani (India) - $27 billion, petrochemicals, oil and gas

10. Christy Walton & family (USA) - $26.5 billion, Wal-Mart        

source



How do you feel about the distribution of wealth in America? Would you feel differently if perhaps you were born into a family like the Buffetts, Gates or Meyers of the world?

5/21/11

Remember the Y2K scare? Did you go out and buy up all the bottles of water and candles your money could afford because the world was going to end? Well we are still here and I'm starting to think some of the religious fanatics forgot to take their meds. According to some, the world is projected to begin its destruction in T minus 4 days aka May 21st, 2011 but I thought there were also predictions of the end coming in 2012. I'm confused o-0.

The 2011 end times prediction is a prediction made by Christian radio host Harold Camping that the Rapture (in Christian belief, the taking up into heaven of God's elect people) will take place on May 21, 2011^[1][2] and that the end of the world as we know it will take place five months later on October 21, 2011.^[3]Family Radio Christian network, who claims the Bible as his source and says May 21 will be the date of the Rapture and the day of judgment "beyond the shadow of a doubt".^[4] His followers claim that around 200 million people (approximately 3% of the world's population) will be raptured.^[5]

 A New York man spent his entire $140,000 life savings advertising his prediction that the world will end May 21, the New York Post reported Friday.

Robert Fitzpatrick, a 60-year-old Staten Island resident, said he spent at least that sum on 1,000 subway-car placards and ads on bus kiosks and subway cars.

They say, "Global Earthquake: The Greatest Ever! Judgment Day May 21, 2011."

In a self-published book, "The Doomsday Code," Fitzpatrick said the Bible offers "proof that cannot be dismissed."

If you want to set an alarm clock, the quake will happen just before 6:00pm local time, he said.

^{So good people with that said if you believe that world will end on this coming Saturday, May 21st, what do you have planned for the remainder of the week? Are you kick starting your bucket list into high gear?} 

The Joke of the Town

www.sandrarose.com 

"I want to personally congratulate President Obama and the men women of the Armed Forces for a job very well done. I am so proud to see Americans standing shoulder to shoulder, waving the American flag in celebration of this great victory.

We should spend the next several days not debating party politics, but in remembrance of those who lost their lives on 9/11 and those fighting for our freedom. God Bless America."

Donald Trump wanted to personally congratulate President Obama on the capturing and killing of the notorious Osama Bin Laden via Twitter. This comes after he has repeatedly doubted and challenged the American citizenship of our President. 



Watch the video here where Obama addresses Trump during his White House dinner.

Have v. Have Not

My American Culture: Tim Wise on White Privilege

Do you find that Whites still have the upper hand in society even though the Civil Rights movement has long passed and Blacks are supposed to be equal? What experiences have you had with a privileged person that made you think they really have no idea what life is like for those who have not? I encourage you to check out the video below where Tim Wise talks about the ways that white privilege was constructed to only give the average white person a perceived or relative leg-up over people of color but actually hurts everyone in the long run. Check out more of his work here.







White Privilege: Racism, White Denial & The Cost of Inequality from KnowYourHistory on Vimeo.

What's in a Name?

 http://www.blackbabynames.org/

The clips below from the film Freakonomics features acclaimed filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) exploring the importance of a parent's first official act—naming a baby.



If you are a parent what factors determined the name you bestowed upon your child? Does your child have an 'ethnic' name or did you choose one that is more ambiguous? We often hear in the black community that a name can make or break a person's destiny when it comes to career, job placement and success in life. Do you agree or disagree? Should we be able to name our children as we see fit or do you think we ought to conform to societal norms and do as 'they' see fit?



Let's talk about your personal life experiences, has your name propelled you in life or do you feel as though it has hindered your success?

Which One doesn't Belong?

Most often parents spend their pregnancies planning out names, decorating nurseries, and saving up for college 529 plans all in preparation for their new bundle of joy. The mother and father attend prenatal doctor visits, Lamaze classes and even buy books on "What to Expect when Expecting?" But what they are not prepared for is if their child is born with an unusual physical feature.

The book I'm reading touched on the occurrences of baby's born with two genitalia, one being male and the other being female. Historically, the term hermaphrodite has also been used to describe ambiguous genitalia. In previous years parents were encouraged to choose shortly after birth which sex the baby would assume based on the more developed of the two genes present. Nowadays surgery is postponed so that the child can be included in the decision. 

In our society, being different is often a concern and issue made to be mocked. Everyone is different, unique and special in their own way and I encourage you to embrace those differences. People who are born hermaphrodites do not choose this life and they need your support not mockery.  Could you imagine growing up in a body you felt was unnaturally yours? If the parents decide the wrong sex the male may grow up always feeling as though he should be female and vice versa.

I propose the question, if this was an unfortunate experience for your family, how would you want to decide what sex your child assumed?

Solitary Confinement

Last night I watched the above documentary on Solitary Confinement and the psychological effects on inmates. Firstly let me just state that previous to watching this video I used to think the inmates deserved to be treated as inanimate objects especially if they've done a heinous crime such as murder, rape or child abuse. I have now changed my viewpoint to believe that they deserve to be treated better especially when it comes to solitary confinement.  The inmate that touched my heart is the man that was imprisoned for TWELVE YEARS for stealing computers. He was a nonviolent prisoner for his first ten years but now that he is getting agitated by being locked down for 23 hours a day and only let out for 1 hour to exercise he has started to act out, because of this he has been punished by receiving MORE time to his original 12 years. Currently he has 96 more YEARS to serve. He will not be eligible for parole until he is in his 80's. Isn't that sad? For stealing computer parts, really! How is this legal? Other countries have LONG AGO abandoned the technique of solitary confinement as it has been proven to make criminals more violent and or cause psychological trauma. The ones that are able to be released get put back into the public population with us regular folks and are ticking time bombs. You don't want to look at them the wrong way because it would be lights OUT for you. They lose the ability to think logically and rationally after pacing back and forth in a 8x10 cell with a 23 hour lock down. Can you imagine? I can't. There aren't enough books on earth. 





Most humans need touch and interaction with others. It is our natural instinct to want to socialize and people who do not enjoy the company of others separate themselves willingly. If you were left to be alone for years at a time the feeling of loneliness can be equated to pain and this could literally drive you insane. Some of the inmates complained of paranoia and being uncomfortable around people once released. 





My question is do you believe this practice of solitary confinement should be used to house hardened criminals? What could we be doing as a country to ensure we are not being cruel to inmates who may not need this type of punishment? Thoughts are welcomed ☺

Daniel Pearl ~ A Mighty Heart

 Last night I watched A Mighty Heart, starring Angelina Jolie, a movie about the true story of how Daniel Pearl was murdered by the Al-Qaeda back in 2002. Do you remember this story? This story is so heart breaking. I pray before my time is up here on Earth we can learn to love and appreciate all cultures, ethnicity's and races across the globe.















 Daniel Pearl (October 10, 1964 – February 1, 2002) was an American journalist who was kidnapped and killed by Al-Qaeda.

At the time of his kidnapping, Pearl served as the South Asia Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal, and was based in Mumbai, India. He went to Pakistan as part of an investigation into the alleged links between Richard Reid (the "shoe bomber") and Al-Qaeda. He was subsequently beheaded by his captors.^[1][2]

In July 2002, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, a British national of Pakistani origin, was sentenced to death by hanging for Pearl's abduction and murder.^[3][4]

In March 2007, at a closed military hearing in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed said that he had personally beheaded Pearl.^[5][6]

Purpose Driven Life

A few nights ago, I spent time with my gal pals creating a Vision Board or rather two. This was a great exercise to gather our thoughts, fellowship and dream bigger ;0) Here are a few pictures of my Vision Boards hanging in my bathroom.



You should do it too! All you need is a canvas board, which I used or poster board, glue stick, scissors and a stack of magazines. Oh and let's not forget your Vision!



How do you envision your life this year and beyond? No dream is too big, just flip through the magazines and cut out pictures of things you want for instance: marriage, children, spiritual connection, new car, money, more savings $$, travel, higher education, weight loss goals, physical goals, healthy eating habits, new career, a new boyfriend..... You can even create words with stickers to spell out things you did not find in your mags. This is what you may recall as practicing the art of play, try it with your family as well. Then in a few months gather your boards and discuss with your family and friends. This can serve as an excuse to get together and keep each other accountable of living our best lives.

Happy trails =0)

The Remover of Obstacles

Over the years I have become a avid fan of the Asian & Indian cultures. You will find this influence in my homes interior design ranging from statues to the color palette and some of my clothing as well. Pictured above is what is referred to as Ganesh. I have a Ganesh perched upon my mantel to ward of obstacles. Read below for its history.

Lord Ganesh the remover of obstacles

The chubby, gentle, wise, elephant-headed Ganesh, or Ganesh, is one of Hinduisms most popular deities. He is the remover of obstacles, the deity whom worshippers first acknowledge when they visit a temple. He is also patron of letters and of learning; he is the legendary scribe who, using his broken tusk, which he often holds, wrote down parts of the Mahabharata epic. Ganesh is usually depicted colored red; he is pot bellied, has one tusk broken, and has four arms that may hold a pasam, a goad, and a pot of rice or sweetmeats. The sweet meats are held in a type of bowl known as a laddus. His appetite for these sweets is legendary and offerings of them are often left at his shrine.

Statues of Ganesh can be found in most Indian towns. his image is placed where new houses are to be built; he is honored at the start of a journey or business venture, and poets traditionally invoke him at the start of a book. 

Ganesh-The elephant boy

Who is the boy who got an elephant's head? His name is Ganesh and he lived in India long, long ago. He is also called Ganapati. Actually, he still lives, because he is considered by the Hindus as one of the Immortals. His is a fanciful story, full of twists and turns and "maybe 'twas and maybe 'twasn't"; but let us follow the tale as best we can, and enjoy!

The boy was born to Parvati, also known as the Divine Mother, the wife of Shiva. She thought him a most beautiful baby (for at that time he had a normal head) and he grew to be the darling of her heart in any case, and a very wise boy. In fact, even today he is looked upon as Wisdom itself, among other things. (And you know how smart elephants are!)

One day his mother brought out her most precious necklace of sparkling jewels. She wanted to test her two sons and said she would give the necklace as prize to the one who went around the whole universe and came back first. The brother of Ganesh darted out at once to begin the long journey. But Ganesh solemnly walked in a circle around his mother. Then he asked for the necklace. "What is that?" Parvati asked, "What do you mean?

Mother," replied Ganesh, "I know that you are the Divine Mother herself, that the whole universe is contained within your body." Parvati was highly pleased at her son's spiritual insight. After many days the brother returned. Who do you think had got the necklace? Yes, Ganesh, the truly wise, and he put it around his neck.

However, all this was after he got the head of an elephant. We have to go back. It is said that when all the gods came to honor Parvati and admire her child, one of them (the one which we in the West call Saturn) refused to look at the boy. His mother was very peeved about this. Other gods chided him, but you see, he knew that one glance from his powerful eyes would burn the child's head to ashes. Still Parvati was insisting that he give the baby his admiring glance. At last, yielding to what we today might call "peer pressure," Saturn cast his eyes on the boyand sure enough, his head was immediately burnt to ashes. Of course his mother began to weep and wail (although it was mostly her fault) but the god Vishnu, who always wants to preserve things, ran quickly and found a freshly-killed baby elephant brought its head and put it on Ganesh's neck.

Growing up like this, he became "the one who removes obstacles," watches over the beginnings of things such as books, performances, building of a house, weddings etc. So in India when people begin those things, they appeal to the immortal Ganesh to give them a good start. Big as he is, he weighs very little, and this makes it possible for him to ride on a Rat. If you want to know why he rides on a rat, you must understand that his rat can get into all the small places where Ganesh cannot go; this helps him in his work of solving and removing difficulties.

Ganesh is worshiped all over Southern India. Statues and paintings show him as short, pot-bellied, with four arms and of course two tusks; but, one of the tusks is always shown broken off. The reason for this is that he was protecting the home when his father Shiva was inside. An enemy of his father's came along looking for his foe and found only Ganesh, guarding the door. Ganesh skewered the warrior and whirled him around on one his tusks! And the fellow was so humiliated and angry that he threw his hand-axe at the boy, breaking off the tusk. Along with all the other things, he stands for purity. He vowed never to marry. The great author Vyasa thought so highly of him and his power of memory ("an elephant never forgets") that he persuaded Ganesh to write down at his dictation the longest poem in the world, the epic Mahabharata.

NEW RULE: Bill Maher Rocks!

I used to watch his show Politically Incorrect all the time way back when I had cable. This guy is shamelessly truthful yet hilarious. Check out some of his talks below.

Extreme Couponing

Have you seen the TLC new show, Extreme Couponing, yet? Some of those people are out of control buying exorbitant amounts of items in bulk and just storing them in a garage simply because they got if for free or the ever so cliche saying, "For a great deal!". Talk about being a hoarder smh Anyway with that said I wanted to talk about my new found muse thanks to a friend who is a professional couponer lol Shout out to Caloria!



I have started buying 2 Sunday newspapers and clipping coupons in my Queen Anne chair just like an old maid would. In fact, I find it rather fun! You can save TONS of money with manufacturer and store coupons alike. For starters here is a Michael's coupon for the girls I will be Vision boarding with on Sunday!

Couponing is not just for the poor, elderly or mom's of the world. Anyone can benefit to save. I bet Oprah would use a coupon if she had one so you should too! Try it out for size. I am a beginner but I will tell you it helps to have organization. Get a binder or accordian style folder with clearly labeled envelopes for categories you often use like: toiletries, hair products, dairy, meat, paper goods etc. That way when you are shopping you won't be holding up the line or fumbling through your purse trying to find that coupon.



If you are an avid coupon share your secrets and let the rest of the lovelies know how to save save save!



For printable coupons check out http://printable-coupons.blogspot.com/



Have a great weekend dolls!

New Year New Start

I'm a big fan of Oprah and often rush home to catch her show. I also love Suze Orman and just read a great article on financial planning for 2011. Read below for her awesome tips!

January: Automate Your Security



This means set up automatic transfers from your checking to savings account per your pay period. When you get paid always always always pay yourself FIRST. For starters take advantage of your employers 401K match.





February: Get Ahead of the Game



You should have received all documents necessary—your W-2, 1098 (if you have a mortgage), and 1099s—to complete your 2010 taxes. You've still got two months, but handling this task early has major benefits. If you're surprised by a tax bill, you have time to figure out a payment strategy. If you're entitled to a refund, you will receive it that much sooner.



March: Do Some Spring Cleaning



Make time to toss any outdated paperwork. You should keep a copy of your tax return indefinitely, but you need to save supporting documents for only three years. Anything from before 2007 should get shredded.



April: Take Stock



For long-term savings goals, stocks have the potential to generate inflation-beating gains. But we're all a bit queasy about stocks these days. Focus your stock investments on those that pay dividends—payments a company makes to its shareholders.A great idea is getting a group of like-minded pals together to join an Investment group. Each month you can meet to present a financial topic, have a guest speaker and discuss the current market as to what you should invest in. I used to be a member of an investment group with my girlfriends and we used ShareBuilder for our portfolio.



May: Hit a Home Run



This is the start of house-buying season, but since most of us stay put in any given year, let's focus on you current mortgage holders—starting with your homeowner's insurance. If rebuilding costs in your area have fallen in recent years, you could be overinsured. Confirm that you have an extended replacement policy, which pays a set percentage over the dollar value of your coverage. And switch to a higher deductible (at least $1,000 or so), which will lower your premium. Cover any expenses that amount to less than $1,000 with your emergency savings fund. Finally, check your property tax base. If your current property tax bill is based on an old valuation of your home, contact your local tax assessor—you may be paying too much.



June: Gift Smart



Make a budget for all those baby shower, wedding, engagement party and graduation gifts coming round the corner.



July: Have the Talk



Take time to talk to your parents about their financial well-being. First, confirm that they have the key estate documents: a will, a revocable living trust, and durable power of attorney for both healthcare and financial matters. Have they reviewed their beneficiaries recently? If not, they should do so now. Next, look into long-term care insurance at www.LongTermCare.gov. Finally, help them formulate an advance directive—a document that spells out the medical care an individual wants in the event he or she becomes physically unable to communicate. It may be a difficult conversation to have, but it lets your parents know that if the time comes, you'll make sure their exact wishes are followed. That's a great way to honor what they mean to you.



August: Teach Your Children a Lesson



his school year, think about instituting new money rules for you and your kids. I'm a big advocate of a work-for-pay setup rather than an allowance that isn't attached to chores—it's a great way to impart the value of money to your children.

Timely Tip: If you need a new car, August is the time to shop—dealers are eager to make room for next year's models. I bought mine in August of 2004 ;0)

September: Check, Please! 



Have you checked your credit report in the past year? Didn't think so. Visit AnnualCreditReport.com, where you can access your reports on file at the big-three credit bureaus—for free. If you anticipate taking out a loan in the next six months or may be job hunting, or if your credit report turns up any mistakes, you should also obtain your FICO credit score ($16; MyFICO.com.)



 October: Brace for Life's Trick



Parents of young children must have life insurance and a will in place—it's non-negotiable. For most families, term life insurance is the easiest and least expensive solution. Go to SelectQuote.com or AccuQuote.com to make sure you're looking out for your family's best interests if the worst should happen.



November: Bag the Best Benefits



Fall is typically open-enrollment period at work, when you can make changes to your benefits package for the coming year. If you learn that your health insurance rates will increase in 2012, check whether your company offers a high-deductible plan that's paired with a health savings account. If you're in good health, this can be a great way to reduce your premium costs by agreeing to pay a higher deductible (minimum of $1,200 for individuals and $2,400 for families). You can then invest in an HSA, which allows your tax-deductible contributions to be used for medical expenses, including the deductible. Your unused HSA balance can be rolled over and used in subsequent years.



December: Pay in Cash



Financially speaking, December can be rough: Gift giving, holiday parties, and vacations all take their toll. My advice? Stash your credit cards and live within your means all 31 days of this month. Avoiding that nasty January credit card bill that you can't pay off is the surest way to start 2012 on the right financial foot.

 http://www.oprah.com/contributor/suze-orman

Make More $$$$$$

 

Make More Money, Become a Pastor

Let me preface this post by saying that I grew up as a Catholic and attended Catholic school for 12 years before attending Clark Atlanta University and really only then did I start to take a real look at religion and what it meant to me. Far too often I believe we simply take heed to what has been done by generations before us and what our parents told us without considering the real meaning to How and Why do we believe what we do? I now consider myself more spiritual than religious these days and alot of this has to do with various influences experienced while attending Catholic and my readings over the years. 

This past weekend my fiance' read an 'employment' advertisement in a magazine that boasted the title 'Make More Money, Become a Pastor!' and then proceeded to list the annual salaries of Pastors. Now I have heard both sides of the argument as to whether one would deem wealth to directly correlate to religious figures  as ungodly but first let me list for you what the average take home pay is for some of these esteemed leaders of your community.

According to the 2006 Compensation Handbook for Church Staff (Amazon), the average US pastor makes $77,096 per year. As you would expect, the single largest factor determining that amount is the number of regular attenders.

Excluding insurance and educational benefits, senior pastors with a worship attendance of more than 1,000 people made an average of $111,052. That’s 73 percent more than the $64,266 paid to pastors with a worship attendance of 300 people or fewer.

Many Megachurch pastors make much more—into the millions—usually from TV ministries or book sales.



Some of these pastors have found creative ways to keep their salaries in check. Joel Osteen (Wikipedia | Theopedia) no longer receives his $200,000 salary from Lakewood Church, and has chosen to live off the money he makes from his book, which I’d guess is still no small amount.

The average salary for a lead pastor in a megachurch is $147,000, according to a recent survey. Source

Salaries for lead pastors go as high as $400,000 to as low as $40,000, Leadership Network reported in its 2010 Large Church Salary and Benefits Report.

Executive pastors at churches that have a weekend attendance of 2,000 or more persons earn, on average, $99,000 a year and worship pastors get paid $75,000.

With all that said, what are your thoughts on the salaries of Pastors, Bishops and the likes? Do you think they too should be living the life of the rich and famous or do you think they should perhaps be giving back this money to the community that they 'serve?'



Thoughts & comments are welcomed.

Lipstick Diva,

Where are all the Men?

 

Source 

 We all know that Black women in particular have been complaining about the lack of desirable men to date and marry in their communities. Well where are all the men then? The answer is in prison or jail most likely so let's take a closer look into the system shall we.

Incarceration in the United States is a concurrent power under the Constitution of the United States, which means that prisons are operated under strict authority of both the federal and state governments. Incarceration is one of the main forms of punishment for the commission of felony offenses in the US.



The United States has the highest documented incarceration rate in the world.

Generally, "prison" refers to facilities for holding convicted felons (offenders who commit crimes where the sentence is at least one year). Individuals awaiting trial, being held pending citations for non-custodial offenses, and those convicted of misdemeanors (crimes which carry a sentence of less than one year), are generally held in county jails. 

In the state of CA, to prevent violence, prisoners are segregated by race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation while held in county jails and in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's reception centers, where newly committed prisoners are assessed prior to being transferred to their "mainline", long-term institutions.



So since MOST of the formerly desirable candidates are now in prison or jail because of non violent crimes we are left to either be single or date out of our race, which I don't deem as a bad alternative. If and when these men do come home we have another set of issues to deal with. 



In a survey of 1,788 male inmates in Midwestern prisons by Prison Journal, about 21% claimed they had been coerced or pressured into sexual activity during their incarceration, and 7% claimed that they had been raped in their current facility.

Would you still consider the man you dated prior to prison heterosexual if he told you he was 'pressured' into anal & oral sex with other males while in prison? I wouldn't but a lot of these men do not consider themselves as homosexual, just a product of their environment so to speak.  Besides the sexual identity confusion this man can no longer vote let alone get a decent paying job so how is he supposed to support himself or his family once released? This is why so many revert back to the lifestyle that landed them in jail in the first place.



Also the entire purported purpose of going to prison or jail, unless you are convicted for a life sentence is rehabilitation although there is a high occurrence of recidivism in the prison population. Recidivism means the tendency to relapse into a previous mode of behavior. I know for sure if I were a male the mere thought of being gang raped by men would make me want to do right, I don't know about you! o_0 wowsers lol





Now let's talk about the living conditions in jail. I think they are too cushy if you ask me. We spend MILLIONS every year on prisoners, check out the numbers below: Source



The cost to put a single drug dealer in jail is about $450,000, composed of the following:

The cost for arrest and conviction is about $150,000.

The cost for an additional prison bed is about $50,000 to $150,000, depending upon the jurisdiction.

It costs about $30,000 per year to house a prisoner, with an average sentence of 5 years, that adds up to another $150,000.

The same $450,000 can provide treatment or education for about 200 people.



Now with that said I believe we do need prisons and jails to house our deviants of society, however I do not think they should be entitled to living a cushy life while in prison.



Here's my list on how to save:



Sheets with absolutely no thread count lol let it feel like cardboard on their skin

The cheapest pillows money can buy

Make them wear PINK undies

Ditch the orange jump suits for HOT PINK ones, that will make more men fly straight!

No condiments for their food just salt and pepper (no hot sauce, ketchup, mayo) for what this is not the Ritz Carlton.

I do believe they should get healthy food though because paying for the sick and shut in will only cost us more.

Every man should learn a trade.

Put them to work cleaning up the highways and byways of their cities.

Elementary schools & highschool's should be making fieldtrip's there to see first hand what they would experience if they went.









What are your thoughts on the subject?



Lipstick Diva,

America is just one big shopping mall

Abridged version of George Carlin's rants and raves on 'Stuff'.





A house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it. You can see that when you're taking off in an airplane. You look down, you see everybody's got a little pile of stuff. All the little piles of stuff. And when you leave your house, you gotta lock it up. Wouldn't want somebody to come by and take some of your stuff. They always take the good stuff. They never bother with that crap you're saving. All they want is the shiny stuff. That's what your house is, a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get...more stuff!



Sometimes you gotta move, gotta get a bigger house. Why? No room for your stuff anymore. Did you ever notice when you go to somebody else's house, you never quite feel a hundred percent at home? You know why? No room for your stuff. Somebody else's stuff is all over the goddamn place! And if you stay overnight, unexpectedly, they give you a little bedroom to sleep in. Bedroom they haven't used in about eleven years. Someone died in it, eleven years ago. And they haven't moved any of his stuff! Right next to the bed there's usually a dresser or a bureau of some kind, and there's NO ROOM for your stuff on it. Somebody else's shit is on the dresser.



Sometimes you leave your house to go on vacation. And you gotta take some of your stuff with you. Gotta take about two big suitcases full of stuff, when you go on vacation. You gotta take a smaller version of your house. It's the second version of your stuff. And you're gonna fly all the way to Honolulu. Gonna go across the continent, across half an ocean to Honolulu. You get down to the hotel room in Honolulu and you open up your suitcase and you put away all your stuff.



All material written and owned by George Carlin.

George Carlin is a complete RIOT to me, very cynical but very true indeed. America is one big shopping mall, there's the mini malls, strip mall, regular mall, outlet malls all kinds of malls and WHY because we need all those stores so we can continue shopping buying up STUFF that we don't even need!



How many pairs of shoes do you own? Too many

How many pairs of blue jeans do you own? Too many

How many coats/jackets/sweaters do you own? Too many

How many tv's are there in your house? More than 1

How many dvd's and cd's do you own that you don't use? A billion

How many different types of the same damn thing do you own? Too Many



If you looked over the calendar year and analyzed your bank acct looking for frivolous spends it probably would be more than 50% of your money....That's a scary idea to fathom.

We all know Black Friday is coming up and many people will be lined up even in a recession to make people happy with holiday gifts...... I know I'm not buying much of anything not even for myself because WHY I have alot of STUFF already. Even when I come home I drive past my neighbors houses who don't even park in their garages because there is a bunch of STUFF in there and they can't! I know us American's like oversized SUV's, double and triple cheeseburgers, extra large jewels etc etc but I'm vowing today to stop the madness in my house because I don't need anymore STUFF....

How about YOU?



Written by Dominique Carter on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 2:53pm

Grow UP or DIE!

Last night my hubby to be and I watched Collapse, an informative documentary on Michael Ruppert's ideology on the collapse of the economy. His ideas are largely based on OIL. I did not realize how dependant we are on oil until he rambled off the following:



There is 7 gallons of oil in each tire



Oil is used in almost every manufactured product we use daily: plastics, paint, cars,



There is not an infinite supply of natural resources and the more we use the faster the human race will be forced to perish.



The economy will crash when we reach peak oil. Peak oil is the point in time when the maximum rate of global petroleum extraction is reached, after which the rate of production enters terminal decline. This concept is based on the observed production rates of individual oil wells, and the combined production rate of a field of related oil wells. This is vital as the economy is highly funded on oil. The Federal Reserve Bank can only print as much money as there is commodity to back it. If the oil prices are too high to be afforded by the average consumer the world will literally stop.



You may be asking yourself well why is this so important? Simple, since we are heavily dependant on oil if the oil we use daily to function is too expensive for you and me to survive how will we be able to drive to work, how will businesses be able to ship the goods to the grocer for you to purchase, how will your employer be able to function, how will the mail get delivered, how will the police be able to protect, how will planes be able to fly?



Michael Ruppert has predicted the fall of the economy with theories involving heavy CIA and Federal knowledge of it's coming. His predictions are not derived because he is a world renown theorist, it's because he is a critical thinker, one of the most vital and imperative thought processes known to man. Most of his knowledge comes from reading the news stories across the globe and putting the dots close enough together to connect and make sense.



This downturn and fall of the economy is inevitable at this point according to Michael. In order to 'survive' it you need to be more self sufficient and this point resonated with me the most. Those who do survive the 'transition' are those who work together.



Here are some suggestions:



~Get out of Debt, avoid compound interest rates



~Learn how to live off the land. Restore your soil, store organic seeds that can be reused over and over so that when this time hits and the grocers have no food to sell you can grow your own on your own land.



~Fresh water will be depleted so store some in your home.



~Save Save Save and Save some more



~Buy GOLD, physical gold and keep it in a safety deposit box. This will be the ONLY valuable commodity for trade when this time comes.



~Update your insulation in your house to save on heating costs. This will skyrocket when peak oil prices hit.



~Network, keep your social circles open and alive. You may need to look to your neighbors, friends and family for help during these times.





I have embedded some videos so you can hear it for yourself. Visit Michael's website at

From the Wilderness.

Harvard Law- What's the Right thing to Do?

My fiance' introduced me to the FREE Harvard Law seminars he has been watching recently by Professor Michael Sandel. These are very thought provoking and challenge your critical thinking skills. I thought to share with you for whomever would be interested. Enjoy!



Justice Harvard.org