Michelle’s College Roommate Catherine Donnelly Speaks Again- Why?

Linked from MichelleObamaWatch.com



Michelle Obama’s college roommate Catherine Donnelly did an interview with Don Lemmon on CNN. We’ve posted about his before when Catherine shared her mother’s angst at her daughter rooming with an African American, Michelle Obama. But that’s not the interesting part of the interview, the interesting part of the interview is Don Lemmon’s Kangol cap and the people behind him mugging for the camera.

View video at: http://budurl.com/lemondonnellyintrvw

Comment from:
danadevin85

It just shows you need to be mindful of how you treat other people
don’t judge people based on their skin color
you may miss out on a friend

Jan 19th, 2009

Elemental Wellness Financial Look: Fannie Mae Tests 'Short Sales' as Alternative to Foreclosures

By Nick Timiraos
9 January 2009
The Wall Street Journal


Fannie Mae is testing a new program to stave off foreclosures by preapproving "short sales" of homes, in which mortgage companies allow homeowners to sell houses for less than the value of existing loans, forgiving the difference.

As the number of homeowners in default on their mortgages began to rise several years ago, real-estate agents started touting short sales as a way for troubled borrowers to sell their homes quickly to potential buyers looking for bargains. Real-estate agents reasoned that banks and mortgage companies would go along with short sales, because they tended to lose less money in the transactions than if a home fell into foreclosure.

In reality, most short sales unraveled, because lenders, servicing firms and mortgage guarantors rejected the sales price agreed upon by the buyer and seller, or because it took the mortgage companies too long to approve the transactions and the deals fell through.

"Short sales have received such a bad reputation among real-estate agents that, as a portion of the overall mortgage market, they have gone down," said Tom Popik, a survey director for research firm Campbell Communications. "We hear a lot of people say, 'I'm tired of doing them. They've been a nightmare.'" A survey Campbell conducted in November of real-estate agents found that the average wait time to get an answer from a lender on a short sale stretched to 8.1 weeks, up from 4.5 weeks in a survey conducted earlier in 2008.

Fannie Mae wants to reduce that delay and spur sales by agreeing on a price for a home -- and the loss Fannie is willing to take on the sale -- even before a buyer has been found.

Two pilot projects, in Phoenix and Orlando, Fla., began at the end of December and will last for three months. The test run is limited to properties secured by a Fannie Mae mortgage and serviced by Countrywide Financial Corp., a subsidiary of Bank of America Corp. Only homes already listed at less than the unpaid balance on the mortgage are eligible for the pilot. So far, about 400 homes have qualified for preapproval between the two markets.

While mortgage holders still take a loss with a short sale, they don't have to take possession of the home and find a new buyer. An analysis by Clayton Holdings Inc., which tracks mortgage loans for investors, found that short sales result in average loan losses of about 19%, compared with an average loss of 40% for homes sold after foreclosure.

Fannie Mae officials say that if the pilot program is successful, it may be expanded to other lenders and regions. "Fannie Mae's goal is to make the short-sale process as fast as possible for homeowners in financial distress," in order to ensure a "graceful exit strategy for homeowners," said Kevin Brungardt, Fannie Mae's vice president for servicing management.

Both Phoenix and Orlando have been particularly hard hit by foreclosures. Home prices fell in the Phoenix region 33% last year through October, according to Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller home-price index, the worst decline in the country. Some 29% of the state's borrowers had negative equity in August, and an additional 6% of borrowers were approaching negative equity, according to a report by First American CoreLogic, a data provider.

In the nation's hardest-hit housing markets, where many borrowers owe more than their homes are worth, short sales are often the only alternative to sales of foreclosed homes. "Values have come down so far that everybody here's upside-down," said Ron Leis, a Sacramento, Calif., real-estate broker who says about 80% of the properties he sells are bank-owned. "Until we can come up with approved sales, we're stuck selling foreclosures," he said.

But some real-estate agents say that Fannie's effort may be too little, too late, because prices are declining so quickly -- at a rate of almost 3% each month in Phoenix -- that prices may have fallen by the time a home is preapproved for a short sale.

"I don't know how you can determine a price today unless you also have a buyer," said Kevin Kauffman, a Phoenix real-estate agent who specializes in short sales and completed 65 such sales last year. He says a preapproval won't go far "in a market like this, where waiting one month costs you a couple percentage points."

Obama’s Mother-in-Law to Move Into the White House

By Rachel L. Swarns
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com



It’s official: Marian Robinson, the 71-year-old mother-in-law of President-elect Barack Obama, will be moving into the White House, transition officials said on Friday.

In fact, Mrs. Robinson is already in town, helping to smooth the family’s personal transition as Mr. Obama, his wife, Michelle, and their two daughters prepare for new lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

“She is here to help them get up and running,’’ said Katie McCormick Lelyveld, a spokeswoman for Mrs. Obama. “She will determine in the coming months whether or not she wants to stay in D.C. permanently.”

In some ways, Mrs. Robinson’s decision to move – at least temporarily — is no real surprise. During the presidential campaign, Mrs. Robinson was a family mainstay, caring for the Obama girls, Sasha and Malia, while their parents were on the road.

She took them to school, to piano lesson and dance lessons, cooked their meals, ran their baths and got them to bed on time. She was a critical part of the family’s effort to keep the girls’ lives as normal as possible in the midst of extraordinary times.

But Mrs. Robinson is also deeply rooted in Chicago. She still lives in the house where Michelle Obama grew up. And she has often expressed ambivalence about the notion of moving to Washington.

“I’ve never lived outside of Chicago, so I don’t know,’’ said Mrs. Robinson, hesitating a bit as she considered last year whether she was willing to move into the White House. “In the end, in the end, I’ll do whatever. I might fuss a little, but I’ll be there.”

Elemental Wellness Technology Stop: The Many Uses Of The Internet Camera

by Katie George

www.cheatgun.com

Internet cameras are fast becoming a staple in homes and offices. This little contraption does more than just broadcast your face to your Internet friends. Learn how to maximize your Internet camera so you get your money’s worth.

An Internet camera isn’t limited to online chats. Sure, they may have been invented for that very purpose, but these days, Internet cameras are used for surveillance purposes. And it fits the bill perfectly. It does all the work of a sophisticated surveillance camera without burning your pockets.

Mom’s Choice?

The Internet camera is fast becoming parents’ choice for keeping an eye on the nanny while they are away at work. Parents can never be too careful with strangers caring for their kids, and it is only fitting, what with all the cases of child abuse. Installing Internet cameras will allow you to monitor the nanny’s activities at any time of the day - as long as you have your laptop with you and, of course, Internet connection.

Aside from monitoring nannies, the Internet camera is also useful for keeping an eye on your kids activities while you’re on a business trip halfway across the world. This way you’ll know if your kids’ are staying up late nights doing his homework, or simply wasting away the nights with movies.

Business Must-Have

If you have your own business, an Internet camera will be a valuable asset. You can set it up in area of your shop or office that offers a good field view, and you won’t have to worry about employees slacking up or sleeping off their responsibilities.

Employees will always put their best foot forward when you’re around, but things change once they think they’re left unsupervised. Internet cameras will help you weed out people you can’t trust and know which ones you can. Whether you keep your surveillance cameras hidden or exposed will be your prerogative.

Allowing your employees to know that they are being supervised will help prevent misdeeds and violations. But if you’ve observed clandestine activities while you’re away and you want evidence against the guilty party, it would be best to keep your surveillance camera as inconspicuous as possible.

Easy Access, Easy Installation

Aside from providing instant access to surveillance videos from anywhere int the world (as long as you’re connected to the world wide web), Internet cameras are easy to install. Setup is easy. When you find the perfect place for the camera, all you have to do is mount it. There are also wireless Internet cameras that make this simple step even simpler. Internet cameras come with surveillance software that you must install in the receiving computer. Installation is also easy - even grandma can handle it. Once online, all you need is your password and your IP address, and you’re on your way to monitoring your kids, nanny, or employees.

Internet cameras have been around for quite some time now, and it only keeps getting better. Technicians are coming up with better looking, better working cameras. And since there are about a hundred or so different products to choose from, you will have to do a little work so you get an Internet camera that will best serve your needs.

What’s Harder, Marriage or Parenting?

January 9, 2009

By Lisa Belkin

What’s more challenging — parenting or marriage?

That’s the question on the table this week over at Momversation.com. The site is filled with videos of conversations among changing combinations of some of the Web’s most trafficked “Mommy bloggers.”

What caught my attention was a question posed by Heather Armstrong, whose Web site is the popular Dooce.com.

“I’ve read some research recently that shows our mothers spent more of their time working on being better wives as opposed to better mothers,” she says. “Whereas, for our generation it seems like it’s kind of the opposite, that we concentrate more on being better mothers than better wives.”

She concludes, ”For me marriage is much easier than parenthood.”

The two other bloggers in the video disagree.

“Motherhood is so easy compared to marriage,” says Rebecca Woolf, of GirlsGoneChild.net and author of “Rockabye: From Wild to Child,” the story of her unexpected pregnancy at 23, and her marriage to the boyfriend she hardly knew. “The first two years of my marriage, both of us were trying to co-exist with each other without killing each other.”

Alice Bradley, from Finslippy.com, agrees: “What does it mean to be a good wife? I don’t know what that means. I know what it means to be a good mother. When you have a baby, its very clear what you have to do — you have to keep the baby alive and love it … It’s hard to neglect a baby, if you’re not crazy and evil. It’s easy to neglect a marriage; you have to work at it and it’s easier to forget that you have to work at it.” (If you find yourself on her site, read her description of giving birth to her son, Henry. One of the funniest birth stories ever…)

You don’t realize you see the world through a fixed lens until someone else sees things differently. For me, being a new spouse was easy, being a new parent was hard. Getting married meant rearranging the metaphorical furniture of my life. Becoming a mother meant knocking down the house and rebuilding it from scratch. Marriage required skill sets I’d had practice using. Parenting required skill sets I wasn’t sure I had.

Armstrong, too, was surprised that everyone didn’t see things they way she had. She’d been so debilitated by postpartum depression when her daughter Leta was born nearly five years ago that she’d needed in-patient psychiatric treatment. (Her book about all that, piercingly titled “It Sucked, and Then I Cried,” will be out in March.) So she’d never really imagined that someone could find marriage the tougher adjustment than parenting.

As she explained on her blog:

It was pretty clear cut for me. I mean, six months into parenthood I checked myself into a mental hospital. That’s a pretty good indication that the software was not compatible with my operating system. Whereas my marriage has caused its fair share of wrinkles, but it hasn’t ever made me consider checking out of life.

Armstong is expecting her second child in June, and says that her feelings about motherhood are worlds removed from where they began:

The instincts I thought would kick in immediately took their damn sweet time and I had no idea what I was doing for about a year. Those instincts finally did settle in, and when I look back at those first few months the memories have the same tone and color as the memory of being dropped into a pool not knowing how to swim.

Which was easier for you, becoming a parent or becoming a partner? (To quote Armstrong, “Since some of us aren’t allowed to marry the ones we love, let’s extend the discussion to relationships in general.”)

FOLLOW FAIL: The Top 10 Reasons I Will Not Follow You in Return on Twitter

January 6, 2009 -

by Atherton Bartelby

Atherton Bartelby is a Brooklyn-based graphic designer, art director, writer, blogger, and photographer. He authors a blog at Curious Affairs.

We’ve all been there: You’re at a party hosted by that one fabulous friend, and populated with the best of your mutual circle of friends. The atmosphere is almost carbonated with excitement; the guests’ personalities flawlessly compliment each other; and the conversations that abound are infused with intelligence, caustic wit, and a wide variety of knowledge that ensures the complete absence of any pregnant, awkward pauses. Then, it happens: someone appears who just doesn’t…fit.

A similar phenom happens on Twitter. You’re having conversations with your established Twitter friends, you’re broadcasting useful information, news, or links to your followers, and you’re “engaging your Tribe,” etc., when suddenly, someone begins following you who, much like that previously referenced party guest, just doesn’t fit. This is the person whose follow on Twitter you simply cannot bring yourself to return. This is the follow fail.

Run any number of searches on Google or Alexa and you will arrive at a veritable host of articles offering endless lists of tips on “how to get more followers on Twitter.” What you will not find are lists compiled by Twitter “power users” regarding the major reasons why they will or will not return a Twitter follower’s follow when it happens, and this is my gift to you: “The Top Ten Reasons Why *I* Will Not Follow You In Return On Twitter.”


1. You have no user avatar

no-img-follow…or your user avatar is neither a personalized photograph nor reflective of a brand.

More important than whether or not your Twitter profile background is “designed” is how you choose to present yourself in that seemingly insignificant 48×48 pixel square. If that square is empty, impersonal, or otherwise lacking any qualities that will immediately allow me to visually associate it with you, that is an immediate Follow Fail. If I am going to build a Twitter relationship with you, I want to see you, or your brand, and not, however humorous I may find it, a screen capture of a magical leoplurodon.


2. You list no location, no website, or no bio

Clearly, Twitter is all about brevity. So how difficult is it to provide a few additional characters of information that may offer potential followers more impetus to follow you in return? I’ve returned countless follows from users whose Twitter streams I’ve found “meh,” but whose listed blogs, sites, or portfolios were too amazing to not follow, or whose 160-character bios were too humorous/intriguing to pass up, or who were in the same city as me and therefore potential project collaborators.

These fields take two seconds to populate; it would behoove you to take those two seconds to populate them.


3. Your “website” listed is a MySpace profile

…or, far worse, an AngelFire “page.”

I’ll admit it: I had a MySpace profile…until I deleted it a year ago when it became obvious that only teenagers and musicians were still using it. I also had a GeoCities/AngelFire “page”…for my very first website when I first got on the Internet in 1994. If the Twitter user in question happens to be an actual teenager, or musician whose MySpace presence truly works for them, then fine. But I tend to pass over those users whose proffered web presence is, well, clearly doing it wrong.

It doesn’t take much these days to establish a web presence that seems genuine and thoughtful, and appears to intend to attract and build an online community based on the content it provides. AngelFire pages simply don’t communicate that.

4. You’re following over 1,000 users, have 20 followers, and no updates

follower-ratio…or, worse, one update that includes a shamefully ill-constructed mention of Jason Calacanis.

Who, aside from those running Twitter apps that automatically follow and unfollow followers, would add these Twitter users? While I may every so often and uncharacteristically give these users a chance, simply to see what sort of content, if any, they may eventually provide, the gratuitous mention of any higher-profile Twitterer or web-famous personality means little more to me than that you were properly able to spell “Calacanis” or “Kawasaki.”


5. Your profile features any variation of “Internet expert”

…or “social media expert” and you have very few and/or insubstantial updates.

While I generally loathe any mention of the word “expert” in a Twitter bio, it is particularly egregious when paired with a Twitter stream of only five updates, or one with a plethora of updates that make me question your “expert” status. You’re an “expert” who is only now tweeting about a Twitter app that everyone else was tweeting about two months ago? How awesome for you! #instantfollowfail


6. Your updates clearly indicate that your Twitter activity is always, only, about pushing your own service/product

advertise So, you have decided to use Twitter as an online marketing tool in order to sell your amazing service and/or product, and you make this glaringly obvious. I find this fabulous, because not only must this tactic be working for you, but it also allows me to immediately decide whether or not I want to follow you in return.

Since I do not use Twitter in this manner, I rarely follow any of these users in return, unless said product or service genuinely piques my interest/desire to support it.


7. Your following and my return follow result in a poorly-constructed auto-DM reading, “Thx for the follow! How can I help you get to a 4-Hour Work Week?”
I’ve several Twitter friends who employ the automatic direct message tool upon any new follows, but their messages are carefully crafted and, well, thoughtful, and go far beyond the garden variety “click my junk” automatic direct message. As I am an intelligent, savvy, thinking Twitter user, I am more than capable of reading all about how you can help me get to a 4-hour work week by consulting your Twitter stream, Twitter background, or website. An impersonal automatic direct message from you along these lines does not impress me, it insults my intelligence.


8. Your most recent updates make references to any need to achieve “more Twitter followers”

…or “enough new followers to reach 10,000 followers by midnight!”

For me, Twitter is not a shallow popularity contest, it is about forging interesting connections and conversations with other people. My Twitter followers are far more to me than a simple follower count: they are friends, they are colleagues, they are collaborators, they are peers, and they are sources. To follow someone in return whose only intent is clearly to acquire more followers would be to devalue the esteem with which I hold my other followers.


9. Your Twitter stream indicates a propensity for consistent arguing …with your followers/random Twitter users/really anyone.

I am all for intelligent debate on any topic, and I’ve been lucky so far in meeting Twitter followers who are still able to politely debate about a variety of passionate topics without constant and vitriolic argumentation. If your Twitter stream is filled with nothing but mean-spirited opinions and argumentation that only advance your own beliefs and allow no consideration of others’ views, then my Twitter stream is definitely not for you.


10. You do not engage your Twitter followers

Probably the most important reason why I will not return your follow, though, is if it is glaringly obvious that you do not engage your Twitter followers. Here I suppose I need to make a distinction between those Twitter users who use Twitter to broadcast their content, as opposed to everyone else; these broadcasters, in my experience, are generally the ones who are followed, not those who are following.

Obviously, engaging their followers is not a priority. Twitter is a major platform in social networking and social media, and they aren’t called “social” networking and “social” media for nothing. There are other people out there, and if you are not engaging or interacting with those users who take the time to follow you for whatever reason, that is a huge follow fail in my book.



The three tenets

My list isn’t perfect, and it is definitely personal and therefore biased, but it is a start toward exploring the differences between a successful Twitter follow attempt and an outright follow fail. In the end, and to return to those previously referenced lists of “how to get more followers on Twitter,” I think there are really only three tenets that should be followed should you desire to build a successful and quality Twitter network:


1. Present a cohesive personal brand, or, if presenting a brand is too much for you, simply present a cohesive sense of yourself

2. Always be consistent in your use of Twitter, i.e., become known for the unique ways in which you use Twitter, and stick with what works for you

3. Engage with your network. Genuine engagement with your network of followers will ultimately ensure that your mobile number is retained, and not “lost,” at the end of that fabulous party, and it will ensure that you don’t (too often) commit any serious follow fails.


What do you consider follow fails? Tell us below in the comments.



Interested in more Twitter resources? Check these out:

- “HOW TO: Build Community on Twitter”

- “HOW NOT TO: Build Your Twitter Community”

- “HOW TO: Win Friends and Twinfluence People”

- “The 10 Users You’ll Meet on Twitter”

Imagery courtesy of iStockPhoto, cwlawrence, swilmor, Sveta

http://www.mashable.com

Planners Prepare for 10 Official Inaugural Balls

posted 4:29 pm Tue January 06, 2009 - WASHINGTON
from ABC 7 News - http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0109/583051.html

The presidential inauguration is just two weeks away and after the big event it will be time to party.

This year, there are 10 official inaugural balls, which means the new president and vice president are guaranteed to show up.

Six are scheduled to be held at the Washington Convention Center -- the Obama and Biden home state balls, three regional balls and the new neighborhood ball.

The National Building Museum, D.C. Armory, and Union Station each will host an official ball as well. Who will get tickets and how, is still unknown.

The Gaylord Resort at National Harbor will have three of the dozens of other unofficial inaugural bashes.

Aimee Garrell showed off the huge ballroom where possibly the biggest bash will be held. Headliners include Aretha Franklin, Usher and Maxie Priest. Twelve-thousand people are scheduled to attend the African and International Friends Inaugural Ball.

Top tickets run about $1,000 apiece and include an open bar and a gourmet feast. "We have a sit-down dinner for them -- fillet of beef.... mashed potatoes," said Rigoberto Lemus, the executive chef.

For all three balls, the resort staff will go through 400,000 hors d'oeuvres and literally a ton of pasta and beef tenderloin. The kitchen crew is already hard at work.

© 2009 WJLA-TV
All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Elemental Wellness Political Check in: Update on Burris offered Capitol Hill office space

January 6, 2009
Burris offered Capitol Hill office space
Posted: 12:27 PM ET

From CNN Political Editor Mark Preston
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has offered Senate Appointee Roland Burris office space not far from the Capitol.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Now that Roland Burris has been turned away from the Senate, where will he hang his hat?

Since Burris has not been sworn in as a senator, he doesn’t have an office in the Russell, Dirksen or the Hart Senate Office Buildings that house the nation’s 100 senators and support staff.

But Burris will have a Capitol Hill view if he chooses.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has offered Burris space in the state’s Washington office, which rests at the foot of Capitol Hill.

“The way we look at it is that Roland Burris is the junior senator from Illinois,” Clayton Harris, the governor’s acting chief of staff, told CNN Tuesday. “So if necessary, if he needs office space, we have made it available as we would do for any Illinois senator or representative (in Washington) just as we would in the state of Illinois at any of our facilities.”

Harris said Burris is aware of the offer, but has not indicated if he would be working out of the Illinois state office.

Update: A Burris associate tells CNN that Burris rejected Senates offer to use his office space.

– CNN Senior Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash contributed to this report

Oprah: What I know for sure (about the economy)

By Polichicks on December 24, 2008 6:02 AM
http://www.polichicks.net/



Oprah's column in the holiday issue of O Magazine:

The economy is in flux, and so are we. For years I've noticed that the universe speaks to us in whispers. If we ignore the whispers, we get pebbles of warning. If we still don't pay attention, we get bricks of problems, and if we're really hardheaded, eventually the entire brick wall comes crashing down. This is a pattern I've seen repeated so often in every area of life that I know for sure when you don't pay attention to the pebbles, it's just a matter of time before the bricks show up.

Our nation's financial crisis is the brick wall that's going to force us to deal with the reality of what truly matters. And to face the spiritual crisis of figuring out who we are and who we choose to be.

Our spending and greed for material things that we think will define us have been forcibly put in check. We have a wake-up-call opportunity to get real and be real with others by finding ways to show love, give love, be love without spending a lot of money. It's a chance for us to look beneath the surface, into the culture of excessive more, more, more-ness that got us into this mess.

It will take more than a bailout to get us on the right track. We need a shift in the way we think about our lives. We may have to search deeply to recognize what matters. Sometimes when I ask people what it would take to make them happy, they don't know what to say. They forge an answer about family and friends, and yet their lives are about everything else.

Everything in life has meaning. The bigger the fall, the greater the lesson.

Barn's burnt down -

Now I can see the moon.

-Masahide (17th century poet)

Oprah

Utilizing Social Media in Your Organization

January 2, 2009

by stacistringer
http://stacistringer.wordpress.com

As the social media landscape expands, more organizations are taking advantage of the online tools available. There are thousands, and they are expanding as we speak. Anything from fundraiser support sites, to picture and video sharing to niche social networks that can expand your reach as an organization. One tool that I find very helpful is go2web20.net. This site provides an overview and ratings of thousands of Web 2.0 sites.

By taking the time to assess the social landscape in which your organization wishes to immerse in, you can identify key opinion leaders, the audience, and important topics in the conversation. Through assessing the conversation happening in different forms of social media you have the ability to pick and choose the right forum to your conversation. You must be picky when finding the right forum. There is no use having a conversation with people who don’t want to listen.

There are a few ways to find out what social media tools would be right for your organization to utilize in creating a presence online:

1. Research where your organization stands in all forms of mediums look on Facebook for support groups, on YouTube for videos, on twitter for organizations, competitors and supporters.

2. Listen to the Conversation Now that you’ve found forums with which your organization could fit into the conversation. Listen. See what others are saying about your product or service and assess the tone. If there is a negative tone, begin to strategist on how you can make negatives into a positive.

3. Narrow the Field Social media takes time. Don’t be too ambitious because if you begin to have a presence in a specific network and then become lazy and cannot keep up with it, you lose listeners and the point of getting involved in the social media sphere was to gain followers. Take a look at the possible tools you can utilize and assess their relativity to your goal. Then narrow the field.

4. Participate the hardest thing organizations will find is keeping up with all the forms of social media that are at its fingertips. Just because you are a part of Facebook or twitter doesn’t mean you’re actively participating in it. Make the effort, comment on blogs and message boards, tweet and reply to tweets participate in the social media and show a new audience that you’re doing everything in your means to make them a believer in your product or service.

Photo courtesy of Brian Solis

MY BEEF WITH HIP-HOP BEEFS

I saw this on Twitter and was really impressed with the thought behind this article and the way it was articulated. I wanted to share it with my readers.

Monica

http://askbroderic.blogspot.com/2009/01/my-beef-with-hip-hop-beefs-by-deric.html
Thursday, January 1, 2009

By: Deric Muhammad

(This opinion editorial appeared in a recent edition of The Final Call Newspaper) http://www.finalcall.com/

Hip-hop culture has officially gotten its passport. In every foreign country I have traveled to, I have seen the influence of hip-hop on its youth. I have seen break dancing in Japan, oversized fitted-caps in China, gold-toothed “grills” in Belize and graffiti in Thailand. No matter where you go on this planet, hip-hop will follow you. Hip-hop’s global impact is so strong that the Orange Revolution in the Ukraine adopted a hip-hop national anthem in protest to mass corruption, voter intimidation and electoral fraud in the 2004 presidential election. When I saw millions of Ukrainians singing a hip-hop fight song as a sign of their revolution, I knew that a serious responsibility came along with that.

I was very disappointed to hear about the recent death of a London up-and-coming rap artist, Ikye Nmezu, who was beaten with a brick by a rival artist over a back-and-forth exchange of lyrics via YouTube. The victim, only 16 years old, was poorly treated by two hospitals and died two weeks later due to a brain abscess. One cannot help but speculate that these two young brothers were emulating what they see in American hip-hop culture, called BEEF. Just as hip-hop’s musical, cultural and fashionable influence has penetrated the borders of foreign countries, so has its shortcomings.

As a product of the hip-hop generation I, along with the rest of us, have enjoyed the competitive lyrical battles between rival artists. Competition fueled creativity and great music was made. When LL Cool J battled Kool Moe Dee, it was a watershed moment in hip-hop. Unfortunately rappers began to bring issues of a more personal nature into the art form. This type of beef helped create the East Coast vs. West Coast beef and the atmosphere that led to the deaths of Tupac and Biggie.

A historic meeting at The Honorable Minister Farrakhan’s home in Chicago squashed the East Coast vs. West Coast beef bringing artists from both coasts to a table of reconciliation. Artists started traveling bi-coastal again and things seemed to normalize. After a brief lull, hip hop beefs returned more commercialized than ever. New rap artist looking to become famous felt they needed to attack another rapper in order to make a name for themselves. Beef, now, has become a part of the promotional aspect of the business of hip-hop. It is supported by record labels and executives whose main concern is their bottom line.

It is impossible to work hard to attain a certain measure of success in the rap industry without becoming the target of others that are not as successful. But, when R&B singers began crooning against one another, I knew that it was time for BEEF to have a dignified funeral. It has become another way of exploiting the gifts and talents of our performers and facilitating the division that has historically led to our subjugation. Beef creates controversies that are good for record sales creating capital that the artist hardly sees. It is White-owned record labels who have profited the most while the artists must ride in bullet-proof cars.

Violent episodes at hip-hop award shows perpetuates the savage image of the young Black male that has been peddled through the mass media. Earlier this year Houston rapper Trae says he physically attacked rapper Mike Jones, because he was tired of him “fronting” like he was the mayor of Houston. More recently the entourages of rappers T.I. and Shawty Lo squared off at the Dirty Awards in Atlanta. Images of these brothers being whisked away in handcuffs went worldwide. What is sad is that someone could possibly end up hurt or dead. He who does not learn from history is doomed to repeat it.

I brought up the aforementioned incident in London to accentuate a point. Black youth in America are in a global position of leadership whether we like it or not. Youth all across the world want to walk, talk, dress, rap and act like young brothers and sisters in America. Rap artists in America have more influence than the government over the youth in some countries. Hip-hop is potentially one of the most powerful cultural art forms in the history of man. But if we continue to allow buffoonery like so-called beef to make a mockery of our culture, we will lose our opportunity to use it as a global force for serious change.

The meteoric rise of President-elect Barack Obama has placed the Black man and woman in America in the seat of leadership in the eyes of the world. Last month I traveled to China and people kept calling me “Obama.” Through his election, they were given a different image of the Black man in America. Their hope in him represents their hope in us all. The hip-hop community must now grow into this responsibility. But in order for us to grow up, we must put away childish things. Beefing with one another over who rhymes the best or over who is really from a certain neighborhood is a childish thing that hip-hop has gotten too old for. Will somebody please write a eulogy for hip-hop beef? It has outlived its usefulness and become a destructive force.

If there is any beef among artists, it should be with the record execs who craft the draconian recording contracts that keep great artists in debt. Who beefs publicly with Jimmy Iovine of Interscope Records or Lyor Cohen of Warner Music Group and others who control the artist’s purse strings?

Rappers can’t allow themselves to be like slaves divided and pitted against one another for the benefit of the slave-master. An artist who beefs with his brother for the sake of the furtherance of his career is no better than those who we criticized as sell-outs in the generations before us.

Hip-hop artists must unify or die. The world is watching.

Posted by JUST-US at 6:33 PM
Labels: editorial

5 Habits of Truly Happy People

The best-selling authors of Happy For No Reason share the secrets of true happiness.

By Marci Shimoff with Carol Kline

From www.jhj.com



Let the Joy Shine Through

A number of years ago, after decades of hard work, I finally had everything I thought I wanted. My first book became a number one New York Times bestseller. I met and married Sergio, my Italian Prince Charming, and we bought a lovely house. I had every reason to be happy. And I was happy about the things in my life. But I wasn't really happy inside.

Looking around, I saw that some of the happiest people I knew weren't the ones who "had it all." Some had health challenges. Others didn't have a dime. What was their secret? I was determined to find out.

I threw myself into the study of happiness, consulting experts and scientific research. I also found and interviewed 100 people whose happiness isn't dependent on external circumstances. I call them the Happy 100. It's not that they are always euphoric -- they may have sadness, fear, anger, or pain.

But they still experience the underlying peace and well-being that's the essence of true happiness, where you bring happiness to your experiences, rather than trying to extract happiness from them. I call this state Happy for No Reason.

I came away from my interviews with clear evidence that happy people live their lives differently. Some of the Happy 100 were simply born with happy dispositions. But most learned to be happy by thinking and living in a particular way.

In fact, I found 21 "happiness habits" that all these deeply happy people share.

Our habits do affect our happiness, and neuroscientists have recently discovered why. Habitual thoughts and behaviors create specific neural pathways in the wiring in our brains, the way water flowing downhill creates a groove in the earth. When we think or behave a certain way over and over, the neural pathway is strengthened and the groove becomes deeper. Unhappy people tend to have more negative neural pathways -- their minds are literally stuck in a rut.

Scientists used to think these neural pathways were set in stone. But new research shows that when you repeatedly think, feel, and act in a different way, the brain actually rewires itself. This means you can change your happiness set point.

Leading brain researcher Richard Davidson, PhD, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said, "Based on what we know about the plasticity of the brain, we can think of happiness as a skill no different from learning to play a musical instrument...it is possible to train our minds to be happy."

When acquiring a new skill, it pays to learn from the pros. Here are five key things I've learned from the Happy 100.


1. Don't Believe Everything You Think

According to medical experts, we have an average of 60,000 thoughts a day -- about one thought per second during every waking hour. And of those 60,000 thoughts, 95 percent are the same thoughts we had yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that. What's worse is that for the average person, the vast majority of those habitual thoughts are negative.

Not surprisingly, when your mind is swarming with these automatic negative thoughts, it has a profound physiological effect. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health, among others, have found that having negative thoughts can stimulate the areas of the brain involved in depression and anxiety.

But here's an important fact: Our thoughts aren't always true.

I can remember the time many years ago I first made this discovery. I was well into giving a presentation to 450 people packed into a hotel ballroom, and I was bombing big-time. How was I so sure? Because the man in the third row was letting me know in no uncertain terms. He sat rigidly, arms crossed. My stomach churned. He hated me!

After my talk the man made a beeline for the stage. I braced myself for his scathing critique. Instead, he thrust out his hand. "That talk changed my life," he said.

I almost fell over -- he hadn't hated me at all! It was my own negative thoughts that had been freaking me out. Moreover, I had managed to tune out the 449 people who'd been laughing, smiling, and nodding so I could focus exclusively on the one guy I thought -- wrongly -- didn't like what I was saying.

Psychologists call this our "negativity bias." For adaptive reasons, we humans have an inborn tendency to register negative thoughts, feelings, and experiences more deeply than positive ones. Our caveman ancestors were the Nervous Nellies and Fearful Franks of the tribe -- and consequently the ones who avoided the saber-toothed tigers long enough to pass on their genes.

We're hardwired for negativity: If you get 10 compliments and one criticism, what do you remember? But we can tinker with the wiring. The happy 100 are skeptical of their negative thoughts and have learned not to let false alarms hijack their happiness.


2. Notice The Happy Things in Your Life -- No Matter How Small

One evening a Cherokee elder told his grandson about the battle that goes on inside people's heads. He said, "My son, the battle is between the two 'wolves' that live inside us all. One is unhappiness. It is fear, worry, anger, jealousy, sorrow, self-pity, resentment, and inferiority. The other is happiness. It is joy, love, hope, serenity, kindness, generosity, truth, and compassion."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf wins?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Because of our negativity bias, we often feed the wrong wolf. To be happier, you need to even up the score. The happy 100 make a point of noticing everything good that happens to them: any positive thought they have, anything they see, feel, taste, hear, or smell that brings them pleasure. This intention activates the reticular activating system (RAS), a group of cells at the base of the brain stem that's responsible for turning on your memory system and allowing it to bring anything important to your attention. Have you ever bought a car and then suddenly started noticing the same make of car everywhere? It's the RAS at work. Now you can purposefully use it to be happier.

When you decide to look for the positive, your RAS makes sure that's what you see. One member of the happy 100 told me she made this into a game, giving out "awards" in her mind for the good things she noticed throughout the day: the best-behaved dog award; the most-courteous driver award. Once you notice something positive, take a few moments to savor it -- making a habit of feeding happiness, as the Cherokee grandfather might say.


3. Choose the Happier Thought

The next time you're faced with a challenging situation that gives rise to negative thoughts and bad feelings, find an equally true thought about the situation that makes you feel better -- and lean into it. This doesn't mean deny the negative -- just pay more attention to the positive part of the truth. The classic measure of optimism, seeing the glass as half full rather than half empty, is the perfect example of leaning into the equally true but happier thought. The happy 100 are a glass-half-full bunch.

Here's a real-life example: Have you ever been on a deadline and thought, I can't get this done in time? The next time you are having a negative, self-defeating thought like that, search your mind for positive thoughts that are equally true, like I always manage to get things done. I can ask for help. The more I relax, the more the ideas flow through me. Lean into these thoughts and you'll find yourself feeling better.


4. Tend to Your Relationships

Scores of studies have demonstrated that having good social relationships is one of the strongest predictors of happiness. I found that although the happy 100 vary in the number of relationships they have, each relationship is a healthy one that supports their happiness.

For women, relationships may be even more important. Though men and women both release adrenaline and cortisol when under stress, scientists found in a landmark UCLA study that women's brains also release oxytocin, the bonding hormone. This is why women who are going through a rough time often want to have a good, long yak-fest with a close girlfriend. The more women engage in bonding activities, the more oxytocin they release, producing a calming influence and further lowering their stress. So the next time you're upset or feeling stressed, don't say you don't have time for friends and family. This is when you need them the most!

The best way to keep relationships happy, healthy, and supportive can be summed up in one word: appreciation. "One of the most important things a person can do to raise his or her happiness level is to acknowledge those around them," says Judith W. Umlas, author of The Power of Acknowledgment. "According to a recent Gallup Management Journal article, when someone is acknowledged, dopamine is released -- a neurochemical that's directly linked to being happy!" When we demonstrate our appreciation for the support we receive from others, it reinforces that behavior and deepens our connection to them.


5. Find Passion and Purpose

One day an old woman walked up to a building site where three men were laying bricks. She asked the first man what he was doing. "Can't you see?" he replied. "I'm laying bricks, this is what I do all day -- I just lay bricks." She then asked the second man what he was doing. He replied, "I'm a bricklayer and I'm doing my work. I take pride in my craft, and I'm happy that what I do here feeds my family." Walking up to the third man, she could see his eyes were full of joy. When she posed the same question, he replied with great enthusiasm, "Oh, I'm building the most beautiful cathedral in the whole world."

Like the third bricklayer, the happy 100 bring a sense of purpose to any activity.

Bringing a sense of passion to mundane activities will boost your happiness, but so will taking the time to find your true passions. Think about what activities most absorb you and analyze what it is about those activities that makes you happy. For example, my dad loved being a dentist. When he retired, he realized it wasn't about the teeth -- it was doing intricate work that made dentistry so absorbing to him. So he took up needlepoint, loved it, and ended up winning awards for his art!

The happy 100 (and my dad would have qualified for membership) incorporate passion into their daily lives, whether at work or at home.

So what about me, the ever-searching one who managed to have lots of reasons to be happy but still needed something more? By using the tools and techniques I learned from the Happy 100, I've been able to move from a D+ to an A on the happiness scale. Now, when life tosses my boat around, I return to an even keel more easily; I don't capsize anymore. I'm still on the journey, but I'm living proof that these steps can move you in the right direction, and that anyone can become Happy for No Reason.



From Happy for No Reason by Marci Shimoff with Carol Kline. Copyright 2008. Reprinted by permission of Free Press, a Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc., NY.

Originally published in Ladies' Home Journal, May 2008.
shim

© Copyright 2009 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Skin-sational!

By Erica Metzger
www.jhj.com

See what a difference a day (or a week or a month) makes to your skin once you know what really works.


Get a Glow in One Day

The sun, hormones, past breakouts, medications -- they can all overactivate your pigment cells and lead to a dull, blotchy complexion

Makeup artist Laura Geller suggests applying a light layer of foundation, one with medium coverage and brightening pigments, all over your face. "The goal isn't to cover your skin with a makeup mask," she cautions. Afterward, dab opaque concealer on the most obvious flaws and set with powder.


Get a Glow in One Week

In your 20s, your skin turns over every 28 days, supplying you with fresh, smooth cells. Since this process slows with age, help shed any buildup and speed cell turnover with daily exfoliation. And make SPF 30 part of your daily routine; it will keep spots from darkening and even prevent new ones from forming.


Get a Glow in One Month

Boost results with ingredients that fade and block new pigment formation, like hydroquinone (an FDA-approved bleaching agent), kojic acid, licorice extract, and vitamin C. They'll brighten skin noticeably in a month, but to fully lighten pigment, you'll need three to six months, says dermatologist Audrey Kunin.


Look Younger in One Day

A lifetime of smiling and frowning, along with sun exposure, depletes collagen and leads to lines and sagging.

Moisturizing does more than just ease dry patches. It actually improves the look of your skin by temporarily plumping it, offering instant results. Similarly low maintenance: primers that fill in deeper creases to give your skin a smoother, less-lined appearance. They prep for makeup, too.

Look Younger in One Week

Serums formulated with anti-aging peptides and antioxidants help wake up lazy collagen-producing cells. (Top with moisturizer if needed.) Amp up results by asking your doctor for a prescription retinoid, an FDA-approved vitamin-A derivative used to stimulate collagen production and decrease its breakdown.


Look Younger in One Month

Adopting healthy skin habits -- namely exfoliating and moisturizing -- will improve your skin considerably. Eliminating skin saboteurs will also return your youthful glow. Smoking is a major cause of lines, of course, but even little actions like frequently rubbing your eyes contribute to lines, too.


Keep It Clear in One Day

Absolutely resist picking at the blemish, says dermatologist Jeanine Downie, as that only makes it worse. Instead, cover the area with a concealer that contains antibacterial and anti-inflammatory ingredients, such as salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. They calm and treat the infection while hiding it from the world and yourself.


Keep It Clear in One Week

"The pimple you see today actually began to form several weeks ago," says dermatologist Dennis Gross, who recommends a nightly acne treatment as a preventive. Dr. Kunin suggests a balancing mask a week before your menstrual cycle begins. Also try products with gentle drying agents such as sulfur and clay.


Keep It Clear in One Month

A kit that gently unclogs pores and reduces oil, bacteria, and inflammation is ideal. if you have severe breakouts, scarring, or cysts, you'll likely need prescription-strength retinoids, such as Retin-A, antibiotics, or even birth control pills. A dermatologist can help you determine the best regimen.

5 signs you are too skinny....

From www.getgorgeous.com

SIGNS YOUR TOO SKINNY!
1. Your Shoulders Are Scary

This look is getting to be pretty standard, but, I assure you, shoulders are meant to have a bit of fat on them unless its not your fault. You're not supposed to be so skinny that only bone remains. I've seen sexier skeletons in anatomy labs. If you look at her back, you can see of a bit of her super-pronounced spine, as well.

2. Each Of Your Ribs Are Visible

You're a human being, not a cockroach. This means you have an endoskeleton, not an exoskeleton. In other words, we're not supposed to know what every nook and cranny of your ribcage looks like.

Nor do we want to. It's scary. It's horrifying, really. If you look like the model in that top right photo, your body has serious, serious issues it would like to discuss with you.

3. Your Chest Is Caving In

This one causes me great pain to look at. Ouch. Ugh. Doesn't that hurt?? If your chest is caving in, and your breast plate is more prominent than your breasts (assuming you've got enough fat to even have breasts) something is wrong. This is especially scary when the woman bends over.

I've noticed this "look" with many Hollywood celebs in the last year or so, and it amazes me that their handlers are not telling them how frightening that is. If you are going to be this skinny, please wear a turtleneck, as anything else is really distressing to look at.

4. Your Legs Are Thinner Than Barbie's

This chick looks like a porcelain doll, doesn't she? Take a look at her face. She looks pretty darned unhappy, doesn't she? Not that blame her -- I'd be pretty unhappy if my legs were that skinny, too.

It's kind of amazing, really. I mean, take a closer look at the photo. Her legs actually appear to be the same size as her arms. The same size as her arms. Gawd, how is that even possible?

Now take a look at the belt around her waist. It's bigger than her legs!

5. Not Even Stage Makeup Can Cover The Bags

Big black bags under the eyes are a part of life for many of us, particularly when we are tired. It happens, and that's something women just have to deal with. But, if you're of the super skinny minnie variety, the blackness quickly gets replaced by a pink, hollowed look that not even the best makeup artist can conceal.

Take a look at that model and you'll see what I mean. You'll also notice she looks ill on several levels. I'm sure hunger is playing a big part in that. Such a shame, as a bit of extra weight would really make her stunning, as she's obviously quite pretty to begin with.
(If you are too skinny sometimes it is not your fault i understand)

How to look better in this year's holiday pictures

By Sarah www.total beauty.com

Holidays are coming and you know what that means -- lots of photos. While we can't help if someone takes a shot of you mid-bite or chugging egg nog, here are a few tips for those slightly more planned photos:


1. Wear foundation that's slightly darker than your skin. It'll keep you from looking pale. Just be sure to blend it onto your neck to avoid that horrible mask look.


2. Don't use powder; it looks cakey and ghost-like on camera. Use oil blotting sheets instead.


3. Stuck at the end of a group shot? Lift your shoulder slightly and roll it forward for a skinnier-looking arm.


4. Totally cheesy, but to look slimmer try the celebrity 3/4 shot. Turn your body so 3/4 of it is facing the camera, put one foot slightly behind the other and hands behind your back or on your hip. Smile naturally to avoid looking like Paris Hilton.


5. Don't let anyone photograph you from below eye level; it gives you shadows under your eyes. Be a diva and insist they stand on a chair; it's worth it.

Six Green Hangover Remedies

By Marissa Moss

Some might say if you have a hangover, you might already be green (not the environmental kind of green, ahem). But if you want to cure that throbbing headache from last night’s Christmas party or holiday get-together, take a few suggestions from Tree Hugger’s list of the top green hangover remedies. Because if you are going to be green in the face, you might as well be green all the way. ‘Tis the season…


1. Yoga
Athletic activity might sound a)exhausting and b)nauseating, but yoga is actually one of the quickest way to rid the toxins from your body. Try a routine of a couple of sun salutations followed by a series or moderate twists – literally “wring” the remaining alcohol from your body. Check out tips from Planet Green on how to make your yoga greener.

2. Wheatgrass
While a thick green juice might seem less than appetizing, take a shot of this curing beverage to balance all the not-so-curing ones you downed last night. Found at your local natural foods shop, wheatgrass’ chlorophyll content and detoxifying effects are a surefire cure.

3. Rescue Remedy
This product (which is made 100% naturally from spring water infused with wild flowers), which celebrities use for its calming effects (red carpet=nerve overload) is also known to help soothe a hungover system. A couple of drops in your water before bed and a pastille in the morning is the natural technique some swear by.

4. Coconut Water
Gatorade or other electrolyte-enhanced beverages are a common antidote. But since you’ve already been taxing the liver, why continue with the artificial colors and flavorings found in these sugary drinks? Young coconut water boasts electrolytes and more potassium than a banana, and is usually not packaged in polluting plastic.

5. Play in the Snow
A cold shower is a time honored remedy. But why waste the water? Lay your sad little head in the snow for the same effects. And make the snow look pretty while you are at it, with a nice imprint of your misbehaved body! If you must shower, read TH's tips on saving water.

6. Hair of the dog
If all else fails, have another cocktail. My favorite? A nice Dubonnet aperitif, which has just enough alcohol (but not too much) to take the edge off. I like to mix a little in a glass with organic orange juice, home squeezed from the farmer’s market for a little vitamin C.

Green your bubbly: From eco-champers to a cork chair competition

by greenlagirl

I'm serious about starting off the new year greenly -- which is why I saved not just one, but two guides to eco-friendly bubblies: Grist's guide to distinctive, affordable, eco-friendly sparkling wines and Low Impact Living's guide to 9 domestic sparkling wines.

I printed those out -- on one-side-used paper, of course -- and headed to Co-opportunity, my neighborhood co-op grocer, then to Whole Foods. Sadly, neither eco-conscious store had any of the bubblies in stock! I did, however, find a Vida Organica sparkling chardonnay (right) at Whole Foods and decided to give it a try. The bottle cost $12.99, but only $12.94 for me because I got my 5 cent refund for taking my own bag --

Theoretically, one should save the bubbly for New Year's Eve -- but for the sake of the blog that'd help everyone else prep for the last day of 2008, I went ahead and popped the cork (hihi!).

This sparkling chardonnay tasted like -- chardonnay with bubbles. I recommend this bottle from Vida Organica if 1) you always thought chardonnay might taste even better carbonated, 2) you generally find champagne and sparkling wine too dry for your taste, or 2) you're not picky. Otherwise, I recommend that you look harder for the sparklers on the Grist or Low Impact Living lists.

Post-drinking, the bottle went in the recycling bin, but the cork, foil and wire cage remained, ready for the DWR Champagne Chair Contest! Yep, those seeking to make their New Year's Eve celebrations zero waste can upcycle their champers detritus into a lilliputian chair. The lucky winner gets a $1,330 eco-friendly Morgans Chair in polished aluminum; two other winners will be awarded less costly but still pricy chairs (Anyone else wonder why DWR stands for Design WITHIN Reach? Anyway...).

You do have to get that chair entry in before Friday, Jan. 9 -- which means you'll want to get to work right away when you wake up on New Year's Day. To help you out, Treehugger's put together a list of the Top Green Hangover Remedies. In my experience, the only cure that actually works reasonably quickly is the hair of the dog, though most might consider that more a delay tactic than an actual cure. Still, if you can delay the hangover for 9 days....

Top photo by Siel
___

BlogHer Contributing Editor Siel sometimes drinks while blogging at greenLAgirl.com.

Top 10 Credit Myths

Lexington Law Firm began its consumer law practice in the early 1990s when it redefined a fledgling credit repair industry by fusing strict regulatory compliance with innovative credit repair solutions. Today, Lexington Law continues to be a driving force helping clients take action on their credit, and remains the trusted leader in credit report repair.


Top Ten Credit Myths

1. When I pay off a past-due account, such as a charge off or a collection account, it will show "paid" and will no longer be negative.
2. If I succeed in deleting a negative item, it will just come right back on my credit report.
3. There are negative listings, such as bankruptcies and foreclosures, that are impossible to remove from the credit report.
4. Disputing the credit report is easy and any consumer can do it himself for the price of a few postage stamps.
5. If I declare bankruptcy, I can begin my credit report all over with a clean slate.
6. If you are not satisfied with the results of your credit bureau challenge, you may file a "100-word statement" on your credit report explaining your side of the story.
7. By changing numbers in my social security number or by using an EIN tax number, I can fool the credit bureaus into creating a completely clean, new credit file under my name.
8. If I build enough good credit, it will offset my bad credit and make me credit worthy.
9. I can improve my credit score by closing down some credit cards.
10. It is illegal for creditors to take a negative, accurate listing off my credit report.





Myth #1: When I pay off a past-due account, such as a charge off or a collection account, it will show "paid" and will no longer be negative.

It is quite difficult to restore your credit without somehow satisfying your outstanding debts. However, paying an outstanding, delinquent debt you will change the account status to "paid collection," "paid was late," or "paid was charged off" - which will still stand out as a very negative listing. When you have outstanding debt, it is almost always prudent to seek professional help so that you may settle your debts while creating a reasonable possibility of deletion of the negative listing at the same time.



Myth #2: If I succeed in deleting a negative item, it will just come right back on my credit report.

The credit bureaus have cleverly spread this myth through the news media and government agencies. In truth, the credit bureaus will often temporarily delete a negative listing if they haven't heard from the credit grantor after approximately thirty days. If the credit grantor reports late, say after six weeks, and then verifies the negative listing, the credit bureau will often reinsert the negative listing on the credit report. This is often known as a "soft delete." Usually, though, the creditor simply fails to respond and the negative listing is permanently deleted. If the item is verified by the credit grantor, either before thirty days or after, the account may still be challenged again at some future time.



Myth #3: There are negative listings, such as bankruptcies and foreclosures, that are impossible to remove from the credit report.

There is no type of negative listing that hasn't been removed from a credit report thousands of times by Lexington Law Firm. Negative items, such as bankruptcy or unpaid debts, are certainly more difficult to remove from the credit report, but this has more to do with the operational systems of the credit bureaus than with the severity of the bad credit item. For example, judgments and tax liens are severely negative listings, yet are easier to remove.



Myth #4: Disputing the credit report is easy and any consumer can do it himself for the price of a few postage stamps.

Disputing the credit report is easy. Getting results from the credit bureaus is amazingly difficult, complex, and infuriating. Remember, the credit bureaus are primarily interested in protecting their profits. Investigating your challenge consumes these profits. Short of sparking a mass number of lawsuits, the credit bureaus seem to do everything in their power to discourage consumers from making progress with their credit restoration. Restoring your own credit report is like repairing your own transmission or representing yourself in court; it is possible, but you must decide if your are willing to take the time and assume the risks of doing it yourself.



Myth #5: If I declare bankruptcy, I can begin my credit report all over with a clean slate.

Many bankruptcy attorneys do not adequately understand or explain the effects of bankruptcy to their clients. Stated simply, bankruptcy is to the credit rating what the nuclear bomb is to war. When you file for bankruptcy, every credit account that you decide to include in bankruptcy will become an "included in bankruptcy" account. Additionally, a bankruptcy filing and bankruptcy discharge listing will appear in the court records section of your credit report. Because so many negative items are attached to the bankruptcy, it becomes difficult to remove all trace of the bad credit. If at all possible, you should avoid bankruptcy.



Myth #6: If you are not satisfied with the results of your credit bureau challenge, you may file a "100-word statement" on your credit report explaining your side of the story.

Creditors will read your statement and will take it into consideration. To our knowledge, no known creditor considers information given in a 100-word statement. The statement only serves to verify some of the negative listings on the credit report. Make 100-word statements the first things you delete from your credit file.





Myth #7: By changing numbers in my social security number or by using an EIN tax number, I can fool the credit bureaus into creating a completely clean, new credit file under my name.

This scheme has proven to be complex, difficult, and illegal. Lying about any personal information on a credit application is usually a criminal offense. Using these "file segregation" schemes requires an enormous amount of coordination, not to mention personal risk.





Myth #8: If I build enough good credit, it will offset my bad credit and make me credit worthy.

After all, I was only late a couple of times. Any amount of bad credit is devastating to your chances of being approved by a credit grantor. Most credit grantors never actually look at your credit report. A computer pulls your credit report, rates your credit standing, indebtedness, and stability, then spits out an acceptance or denial. Even one or two slow pays will usually trigger a credit card or personal loan denial. The slightest amount of negative credit will cause the interest on an auto loan to skyrocket. You will probably find that even a little bad credit, regardless of how much good credit you have, is an unacceptable barrier to credit approval.





Myth #9: I can improve my credit score by closing down some credit cards.

For starters, closing down credit cards usually leads to a significant decrease in the credit score. What's more, consumers focus far too much on positive credit while negative credit still appears on the credit report. Negative credit effectively wipes out any amount of positive credit when the score is calculated.





Myth #10: It is illegal for creditors to take a negative, accurate listing off my credit report.

The law requires that these items remain on the credit report for at least seven years. When you speak with credit grantors, collection agencies, or credit bureaus, their typically under-educated staff may tell you all manner of such pseudo-legal nonsense. The law demands that negative listings appear on your credit report for no longer than seven years. The credit grantor or the credit bureau can choose to delete the negative credit listing whenever they see fit.



Entire contents © 2008, Lexington Law Firm

Make More than Just Your New Year's Eve Rock: Six Ways to Take Charge of 2009

As the year comes to a close, it's time to think about what you want next year to look like. Stephen Covey, one of the most prolific leadership authors of our time, says there are six things you can do right now to make 2009 your best year ever:

1. Be proactive.
It's more than just taking initiative. It means being responsible for your own life. Empower yourself to lead and spread your influence no matter what position you hold.

2. Sharpen the saw.
Decide what's truly important. Sharpen your saw early in the day by learning to say no to the unimportant and yes to the highly important.

3. Seek to understand before seeking to be understood. It's human nature to want to be understood, but when both parties are trying to be understood, neither party is listening. By making the investment to understand the other party, you can magically transform the course of your conversations.

4. Begin with the end in mind. Start today with an image of the end of your life as the frame of reference by which everything else is examined. With a clear idea of where you are going, examine everything in the context of what matters to you most.

5. Develop a vision mission statement. Get a deep sense of your life's mission, purpose and value system, then establish your goals and a system of accountability that keeps you on track.

6. Think win-win.There is enough success for everyone, so don't view another person's success as success achieved at your expense or exclusion.

More about Stephen Covey on SUCCESS.com.

You Too Can Host An Inaugural Bash!

Dear MoveOn member,

Think of Barack Obama giving his inaugural address, surrounded by millions of the people who worked to elect him. Really, stop and imagine it. Does it make you smile? Us too. Does it make you want to celebrate? Good.

Because we're organizing Inaugural Bashes that night in cities across the country and we want you to come—in fact, we want you to host. The Chicago Inaugural Bash could be an informal party in a friendly local bar or restaurant, a smaller get-together at your house, or an elaborate Inaugural Ball—it's up to you.

The important thing is that we come together to kick off this new progressive era. Can you host an Inaugural Bash so the folks in Chicago have a place to celebrate? Click here to register your event:

http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/create.html?action_id=158&id=15305-14621121-Wt6cTcx&t=3

These parties are being organized with MoveOn.org Civic Action—which means it's fine to hold your party in a bar or restaurant. So if you have a friendly local bar that you think would be a great venue, give them a call to ask if they'd be OK with your throwing a party. (They'll probably appreciate all the extra business on a Tuesday night.)

Having your party in a bar or restaurant means more people can attend, but holding your event in a more private space, or at your home, is great too. And if you're not sure yet where your party will be, that's fine—you can still sign up to host now.

Once you've found a venue, hosting a party is really easy. We'll invite other MoveOn members in your area, provide all the materials you'll need, and offer some ideas for fun things to do at your party.

Millions of people will be gathering in Washington, D.C. on January 20th, but there are millions more around the country who helped make this day possible. Can you sign up to host an Inaugural Bash in Chicago so folks near you have a place to celebrate, too?

http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/create.html?action_id=158&id=15305-14621121-Wt6cTcx&t=4


Thanks for all you do.

–Daniel, Adam G., Noah, Marika and the rest of the team

Does Couples Counseling Work?

By Molly Triffin

Are you skeptical about the benefits of couples counseling? Our checklist may be able to help you determine if counseling would work for you.

Rumor has it that after seeing a couples counselor two years ago, Madonna and Guy Ritchie posted a list of relationship guidelines on the wall of their Manhattan apartment. A few of the reported rules: Guy must work to "enrich his wife's emotional and spiritual well-being" Guy must set aside time to read Kabbalah texts with his wife; both parties must "not use sex as a stick to beat one another."

Despite these meticulous measures, Madge and Guy still decided to split. And that begs the question: Does couples counseling really help? "Ultimately, if you really love the person, it's worth it to pull out all the stops," says Debbie Magids, Ph.D., author of All the Good Ones Aren't Taken. "But at some point, if things aren't getting better, you have to reassess."

If you're in a long-term relationship and having serious issues with your guy, you may want to consider going to therapy together (it costs about $150 to $200 a session, on average). Take a look at the checklist on the next page. The more questions you answer yes to, the greater the possibility that counseling could work for you.

Do the good times outweigh the bad?
If you enjoy being with your man the majority of the time, don't call it quits just yet.

Can you forgive him?
When trouble stems from a betrayal, such as cheating, it can be tough to move past that. But in order to have a strong relationship, you must be able to let go of the resentment.

Is the root of your conflict caused by an external force?
If an outside factor (for instance, he lost his job or there's an illness in your family) is putting stress on your relationship, the tough time is likely conditional and temporary.

Do you agree on the fundamentals of life?
You can find a happy medium when it comes certain disagreements, like how tidy you want to keep your pad. But others, such as whether or not you want to have kids in the future, are so fundamental that you need to be on the same page.

Is the relationship worth the work you'll have to put in?
Some couples are naturally more compatible than others, so their bonds are relatively easy to keep strong. Those who aren't as closely matched have to work harder to resolve differences of opinion and lifestyle. That doesn't mean your connection is any less wonderful, it just takes more effort to get to that point, so you need to be up for the challenge.

Source: Joanne Magdoff, Ph.D., psychologist in New York; Debbie Magids, Ph.D.
Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.