Stuff to Think About

I will be away for 8 days in South America. Until then I thought I would leave you with some things to think about. How kind of me right? LOL. Anyway here goes?

1. Don't let the Pharmacy kill ya. CNN has an interesting feature everyone should read. In 1985 my Mom dropped dead after getting medicine from a new pharmacy. I couldn't prove it because by the time I got to her house the body has been removed along with the medicine. The bottle was never recovered. How convenient.
2. On Nov. 2, 2008 American Gangster opens in theaters. I want to see it for the magical performance of Ruby Dee. Maybe they will give her an Oscar for this one. Will you see it?
3. The Fires of Los Angeles. I was saddened to hear about the fires all over California. It was interesting to see how well FEMA and the State and Feds performed. They said they learned from Katrina. Hmmmm. Better late then never but the question is what are you doing about Katrina now. Will the houses be rebuilt or will they have to wait in line for the Calif to be rebuilt. I am always amazed by the spin. Check out this blog piece on the comparisons. Hold on to your hat cause it sure pissed me off. I am praying for all those that have been displaced and died. All lives are equal even in America.
4. Hold on to your cash. The real estate market is going through a serious transition right now. There will be many opportunities for those with cash and good credit. Thankfully Manhattan is still doing okay but I feel for many people in other cities. It is a bloodbath out there with foreclosures up everywhere. Don't get too stressed remember what goes up must come down but it always goes back up again. Good credit is going to be the key to everything in the foreseeable future. Check your credit for free.

See you soon.

Just Another Day

Well I have reached the magic number of 50 yesterday. Yeap, that's right. It is hard to believe because I don't feel any different than 10 years ago. How did I celebrate? I didn't. Got lots of calls from well wishers which is always nice but in reality everyday is a birthday for me.

When I wake up each morning I thank God for letting me see another one. I turn on the news to discover that so many people did not wake up. With each day comes a commitment to make my life count in some way. To help someone along my journey. I know it sounds corny but it is what I truely believe. I often wonder why I have made it another day and what I am suppose to do with the time I have left.

During this past week it has been extremely difficult for me to function because of a wicked flu that decended upon me on Tuesday and kept me in bed all week. Today is the first day I actually could get something done. I felt good on Monday when I went for my annual physical. Everything checked out fine but then I took the flu shot. Well, I guess I should have waited because I had the sniffles that day and man once that shot took hold all of the flu kicked in. It is going to be a bad flu season I guess because when I tell you it was a rough week, that is an understatement.

The week ahead....

> If you make between $70,900 and $117,000 a year, there is a great opportunity to buy a 3 bedroom & 2 bath coop in Central Harlem for $505,000. Now for those of you that don't live in NYC you might think that is not a deal but for those of you who do know the real estate market here, that is a steal. Check out the open house tomorrow from 12:00-1:30 at 130 Lenox Ave.

> Also tomorrow a very special event happens at the Park Avenue Christian Church where Rev. Alvin O. Jackson formerly of Memphis, TN and Washington, DC will be installed as the Senior Pastor of this venerable institution. The Reverand James A. Forbes, former Senior Pastor of Riverside Church will be the guest preacher. The installation will begin at 2:30PM

> Come On People - the new book by Bill Cosby and Dr. Alvin F. Poussaint hits the streets. It has a powerful message for families and communities as they lay out their visions for strengthening America, or for that matter the world. The authors aim to help empower people make the daunting transition from victims to victors. Read it and you decide.

That's it for now. Thanks for all the birthday greetings. Back at ya.

You wanted to know what is next?

We are proud to announce our next incredible adventure ...



Nubian Dreams Cruise

sailing from New York City to

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October 8 - 16, 2008

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graphics & web design
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visit the website at

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What People Are Talking About

* Foreclosure Filings Double From Year Ago
By ALEX VEIGA,AP
Posted: 2007-10-11 12:01:56
LOS ANGELES (Oct. 11) - Foreclosure filings across the U.S. nearly doubled last month compared with September 2006, as financially strapped homeowners already behind on mortgage payments defaulted on their loans or came closer to losing their homes to foreclosure, a real estate information company said Thursday. Keep in mind this doesn't count in NYC. Click the link above for the full story. Courtesy of AOL.com

*Retirement Tips for LGBT Community * Westport, CT - Monday, October 1, 2007 - The MetLife Mature Market Institute and the Lesbian and Gay Aging Issues Network (LGAIN) of the American Society on Aging have prepared a list of tips and advice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) baby boomers. Based on the Institute's 2006 study, Out and Aging: The MetLife Study of Lesbian and Gay Baby Boomers, the first national survey of its kind, this publication will help LGBT individuals prepare for retirement, long-term care, caregiving and other issues related to getting older and providing assistance to others. Click the link above for the full story. Courtesy of GBMNews.com

*
* Updated Sept. 28, 2007 – Managing diabetes may make you feel confinded or that you have to restrict your lifestyle. Don't eat this. Don't eat that. In a positive twist, here are 12 things you can do to live healthier.

1. Do review your treatment plan with your doctor or health care provider at least once a year! Make changes if your plan is not working well. Click the link above to read full story. Courtesy of BET.com

SmileyBooks Part II

Well the reviews are in on the SmileyBooks event last week it turned out to be one of the hottest events in NYC for the literary world. It seems that this was a unique event of the book world because it merged so many different types of industries in one place. I was happy to be a part of it's success.

<(Photo by Jefry Andres Wright)

In the previous post I talked about the stars that came out that night. For those of you that know me I have to tell the whole truth. Unfortunately I was disappointed by a few people and businesses' that sent in the RSVP to this intimate event but didn't show. More importantly they didn't even bother to call to cancel. Why is this important? The event was limited to 200 very special guests so those that didn't show took a space from many people that would have loved the opportunity to spend time with so many good and notable people. Usher, Whoopi and others had previous engagements and could not attend yet they took the time to call with regrets.

Maybe I am old school but I was brought up to always send my regrets if I had to cancel. The sad thing is that many of the people who I personally invited could have used this event to talk to those who spend thousands of advertising dollars each month on products. They could have pitched there stories to the top literary agents in the business or talked to people like Tavis Smiley or Charlie Rose. What a shame they missed the opportunity and didn't think about the fact that many of them would never be invited to an event of this caliber. Oh well, we tried. Coming off of the Republican Debate on PBS that Tavis Smiley put together where all of the major Republican candidates dissed him and all African Americans, I was totally disgusted by those few African Americans that didn't show or call. For the ones that did call. Thanks for having grace and style. While the buzz on the street has been great for this event, you hardly heard a peep in the media. Again, smart black people don't count I guess. Next week I hear that the Amsterdam News will do a feature. Please let me know if you hear of any other posting.

On a happier note, it was wonderful to receive so many congratulations and warm wishes from many who attended the event. Even from people I didn't know. James Earl Hardy sent a email to me before I got home that night. Thanks James, you show that class and style is not dead.

One final note: If you missed the interview with Ruby Dee, I suggest you try and find someone that has it. It is a rare opportunity to hear the words of this legend in the no holds bar interview with Tavis Smiley. Ruby Dee gave insights on life as an activist, a wife, a mother and an actress. It was simply amazing. Take a look at this sneak peek here or read the transcript from the show.

Thanks it for tonight. Thanks for reading.


Video by: Morris W. O'Kelly - Producer/Editor

SmileyBooks Event in NYC

Yes, I know it has been awhile. A brother has to work for a living. Thankfully it has been a very busy few weeks. A friend of mine called me in and asked if I could coordinate a very important event for SmileyBooks who have just opened their New York office. When I met the President, Cheryl Woodruff, I dropped everything and threw myself into making this launch the best event we could. As most of you know, I have been producing events for many years. This has to be the most rewarding yet. Everyone worked as a team to make it happen and the mix of guests was so varied and stellar I was impressed. It spanned from teachers to authors to legends to musicians to television personalities to regular working folks. The response has been tremendous. The folks that missed it were sorry they did.

Slide show photos courtesy of James Saunders III

I have to thank so many people but especially the two who made it happen. Ms. Cheryl Woodruff who fought the battles and got what we needed without any "divaism"-new word- don't hate. This lady will continue to be a powerhouse in the literary world and will be my longtime friend and Ms. Mae Jackson who brought us together. When I got frustrated and tired Mae was there for me. Renee Alexander, premier stage manager made the night easy, Jill Marie who took good care of all the celebrity guests, Jeff Dudley and his security team, the caterer Alan Kehoe who brought delicious food and a wonderful spirit, Michele Fox and Dano who kept things cool with the venue and put up with our ever ending changes, Onaje Allan Gumbs and his trio- oh you have to check out his new CD, my good friend Greg Cooks, Melvin Taylor who brought us Onaje, Misani and the legendary Carmen de Lavallade, Carol Fass

(Above photo courtesy of Jefry Wright) Public Relations and the Literary Public Relations who got the press there, Jefry Wright who kept on snapping wonderful pictures, James Saunders who's pictures are featured in this slideshow, John & Premier Technologies for the A/V equipment and crew, Blaxcom Solutions who turned it out with the video presentations, the Hay House Books staff, the Tavis Smiley Organization and all the wonderful volunteers and servers who kept the guest glasses full.

The authors- what can I say... Dr. Cornel West, Iyanla Vanzant, Eleanor Hinton Hoytt, Tom Burrell and of course Publisher Tavis Smiley - now that is alot of brain power on that stage. Most importantly the guests that took time out of their busy schedules to be there to make the evening a night to remember. Needless to say the celebrities that came out to support Tavis and Cheryl will always hold a special place in my heart. Here are just a few that were there;
dancer Carmen de Lavallade; dancer Judith Jameson; author Terry McMillan; actress Ruby Dee; author James Earl Hardy; Stacey Ann Chin, Blogger Keith Boykin; Ms. Ruby Dee: Charlie Rose; David Ushery and so many more. Well now you see why I haven't been bloggin.