$180k Navy ROTC college scholarship

$180,000 in scholarship money & earn Naval Officer commission

Scholarship requirement:
- take either SAT or ACT
- SAT requirements: 530 critical reading + 520 math
- ACT requirements: 22 English + 21 math
- Release scores to code 0656 via CollegeBoard.com or ACTstudent.org
- Scholarship open to high school juniors and seniors (age 16+) through college sophmores
- Nursing option available, become a commissioned naval nurse officer

Applicants must either meet the SAT/ACT minimum scores or be in the top 10% of their high school class with non-qualifying scores.

Complete application online at https://www.nrotc.navy.mil

For more information contact:
NROTC Scholarship Office: 858-537-8044
Chief McDonald, NROTC Coordinator: 951-551-9416 gary.r.mcdonald@navy.mil
Petty Officer Matsui, NROTC Coordinator: 858-583-8420 joy.matsui@navy.mil
Petty Officer Erickson, NROTC Recruiter: 858-967-2184 edward.erickson@navy

DC Innovation Lab Fellows application - April 12th deadline

This spring, the Democratic National Committee and Organizing for America are looking for talented undergraduate and graduate students to become Innovation Lab Fellows and pursue special projects at our Washington, D.C. headquarters. Innovation Lab Fellows will work with the Labs team to create innovative new tools for the DNC and Organizing for America. We're excited about opportunities to empower our activists to reach and organize more voters:
-- Fellows will work on new tools that will have wide use and practical impact .
-- This is a great opportunity to learn agile software development methodology.
-- Applicants should have a strong technical background, with course work in Computer Science or equivalent experience.

We'll work with individual fellows to set specific start and end dates; compensation is commensurate with experience. To learn more and apply online, please visit:

http://my.barackobama.com/InnovationLabFellow

Applications must be submitted by April 12th.

If you live in San Diego - you should read this

As you may or may not know, Shelia Jackson is running for election to the SD County Board of Supervisors 4th District. This district is predominately urban and this seat has been held by a 15-year incumbent Republican Ron Roberts. Shelia, the immediate past President of SD Unified School District Board of Education, has put her 'hat' into the ring along with three other Democratic candidates. The SD County Board of Supervisors controls millions of dollars of CA state funds and is the ultimate arbiter of land use for San Diego county. For years democrats have been locked out of the Board of Supervisors and there has NEVER been a women or person of color who has served on the SD County Board of Supervisors.

Today, or exactly 66 days from today, we have an opportunity to elect a women and a person of color to this powerful agency. I have recently become active in Shelia's campaign because I believe it is important that we help her become a member of the SD County Board of Supervisors. I believe that she will be an advocate for openness, transparency, and accountability as she has done while serving on the SD Board of Education.

I have attached additional information for you to review and here are two links that you can visit today:
Facebook: Click Here
Twitter: Click Here

I would like for you to consider helping the campaign directly by either: becoming an Election Watch Captain for your church and organize voters at your church; or by participating in a BYOP (Bring Your Own Phone) Party and call registered voters in the 4th District on behalf of the campaign; or by hosting a fund raising party to help secure funds for the campaign which is being outspent by the Republican incumbent 100-to-one.

You can make a difference in this election and you have the ability to support positive CHANGE for our community. TOGETHER, WE CAN TAKE ACTION... for Our Family's Sake! Please help elect SHELIA JACKSON to SD County Board of Supervisors. Thank you for your consideration.

http://www.sheliajackson2010.com/

campaign contact: Ms. Kendra Jackson, 619-549-8305, kendrajackson@att.net

San Diego National Council of Negro Women STEM Workshop - May 1st deadline

National Council of Negro Women - San Diego Chapter
"Skills to Make It In Life" present their 9th Annual Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics - STEM Workshop for Girls on Saturday, May 1, 2010

Are you interested in how things work? Have you wondered about the cool jobs for girls who like science, computers, engineering, and mathematics? Would you like to meet women in these fields and see what's involved in their daily work? The STEM Workshop is all of that!

Girls in 5th - 10th grades
Saturday, May 1, 2010, 8:30AM - 3PM
Bethune Elementary School
6855 Benjamin Holt Road, San Diego, CA 92114

Registration forms must be completed and postmarked by April 26, 2010.
Contact: NCNW STEM Co-Chair Carlean Arnold at 619-479-7375 or carlean262@att.net
National Council of Negro Women, PO Box 740332, San Diego, CA 92174

Footlocker College Scholarships - April 15th deadline

Founded in 2001, Foot Locker Foundation, Inc. provides support for educational and sports programs across the country that equip children and young adults with the necessary tools to achieve their goals and be successful in life. Continuing in its efforts to serve in the community, Foot Locker Foundation, Inc. has partnered with UNCF to fund this scholarship program for high school seniors or students attending or planning to attend a UNCF member college or university during the fall of 2010. A $5,000 scholarship will be awarded to selected students.
http://www.uncf.org/forstudents/scholarDetailSGA.asp?id=442

Every Sigma Knows

The military can train a man to react without thinking when he is under enemy fire. A good accounting course can teach any businessman how to read a spreadsheet with absolute ease. A seasoned quarterback can know what play to call, almost instinctively, in the heat of even the closest game. But the sight of a would-be love interest, the prospect of a dinner party, or the presence of a bereaved coworker can reduce even the bravest hero to mumbling gibberish. Even though he has the best of intentions, a Sigma often times finds himself fumbling for words. He means well, but for the life of him he can't think of what he means to say at the moment. When he should be taking a deep breath and composing his thoughts, he finds himself blurting out something he would never intentionally say.

Of course a Sigma knows what fork to use, he opens the door for others, and he always puts the toilet lid back down. But the true mark of a Sigma man goes deeper than mere nice manners. A Sigma man can do his part to make the world a much nicer place in which to live. Because he knows that a thoughtless comment can forever diminish the way others view a person, a Sigma does not open his mouth without thinking ahead. Oftentimes a Sigma is put to the test when he is least expecting it. He is introduced to a new friend at a party, and he can think of nothing except the ungainliness of the new friend's shirt. A longtime acquaintance strides up,extends his hand, and the Sigma's mind goes blank. A coworker has just had a miscarriage, and the Sigma wants to say something, but he does not know, precisely, the right thing to say. These awkward moments, and others like them, come to a Sigma far too regularly over the course of his life.

If a Sigma is prepared, he can handle almost any awkward social situation. The basic rule is to say as little as possible, and to choose those few words with the utmost care. A Sigma knows that when he expresses his sympathy, he is not expected to heal the pain of parents who have lost a child in a horrible automobile accident. At the same time, he knows that even in lighter moments he is not perfect. If he forgets a name, he can admit the gaffe and be forgiven. He knows, too, that he must stand up for himself and whenever possible say what he thinks. If a friend asks him to lie, he declines to participate in the deception. If he is treated rudely in a restaurant, he knows how to lodge his complaint as well as how to determine the person with whom it should be lodged. If he has strong feelings about politics or religion, he knows when and where those opinions should be voiced. In matters of love and friendship, saying the right thing is of vital importance. But a real Sigma knows that sometimes, when words seem to have lost all usefulness, being silent can be the right thing too.

Knowing what to say, and more importantly what not to say, in life's important situations, is a priceless skill. The drill sergeant trains his soldiers to react without thinking under enemy fire; the professor teaches the businessman to read a spreadsheet; the coach prepares his quarterback to know what play to call. The following examples can help prepare a Sigma for those moments when he, too, will have to spring to action. It provides the ammunition and the strategies he will need to survive even the most embarrassing encounters.

A Sigma knows that saying the right thing is not about being quick and clever. Instead he has higher priorities. A Sigma makes others feel better about themselves. He wants to put himself in the other person's place. He wants life to run more smoothly not just for himself, but for the people he encounters in the normal course of life. He wants to be part of the solution to life's problems — especially the ones over which he has some small amount of control. At the very least, he does not add to the unavoidable awkwardness that is an all-too-common part of human existence. That, he knows, is what being a Sigma is all about.

A Sigma knows how to begin a conversation.

A Sigma always thinks before he speaks.
He also thinks after he speaks, in order to build upon the rightness,
or correct the wrongness, of what he might have said.

If a Sigma is subjected to a rude remark or rude behavior,
he does not offer rudeness in return.

A Sigma allows others to finish their sentences.
Even in his most brilliant moments, he does not interrupt others,
no matter how dull their opinions might be.

A Sigma is slow to judge the actions of others,
either in their public or private affairs.

A Sigma does not take part in major arguments over minor issues.

When a Sigma learns that two friends are to be married,
he tellsthe groom-to-be, "Congratulations,"and
says, "Best wishes" to the soon-to-be bride.

A Sigma makes a conscious effort to use correct grammar,
but he resists all temptation to sound stuffy and overly grand.

A Sigma does not correct another person's grammar,
unless he is teaching an English class.

A Sigma does not use foreign phrases, unless he is absolutely
sure of their meaning and their pronunciation.

A Sigma does not pretend to speak languages that he has not made his own.

A Sigma is careful of what he says in the presence of people speaking foreign languages.
They may understand what he is saying eventhough he might not understand them.

A Sigma does not use words that he can define only by looking them up in a dictionary.

A Sigma never asks a woman if she is pregnant.

A Sigma avoids raising his voice,even in the most heated discussion.
He does not shout others down. Often the most important person in the room speaks the softest.

A Sigma never says, "I'm sorry," unless he has given offense.

When a Sigma inconveniences another person by asking him or her to shift so that he can move through a crowded room, he says, "Excuse me." He does not say, "I'm sorry," since there is no reason for him to apologize.

A Sigma never begins a statement with "I don't mean to embarrass you but . . ."

A Sigma does not ask anyone, male or female, to divulge his or her age.

When a Sigma initiates a telephone conversation, he knows it is his responsibility to end that conversation.

A Sigma does not use his cell phone when he is at a table with others.

A Sigma does not engage in arguments, of any sort, at the dinner table.

When a Sigma is confronted by arguments that he considers foolish,
he does not attempt to refute them with reason. Instead, he keeps silent,
knowing that logic is useless in the war against irrationality.

A Sigma gives direct answers, especially to controversial questions.
Being direct, however, is not the same thing as being rude.

A Sigma never claims to have seen a movie he has not seen or to have read a book about which he has only read reviews. He knows how to say, "I haven't read (or seen) that yet, but from what I hear about it, it sounds very interesting. What do you think?"

A Sigma asks the question, 'What do you think?" as often as possible.

A Sigma does not brag, especially about his own accomplishments.

A Sigma knows that the best kind of small talk consists of asking questions,
not volunteering information about himself.

A Sigma never says, "I told you so."

A Sigma knows how to make an apology, and how to accept one.

A Sigma knows how to extend a compliment, and how to receive one.

A Sigma does not spread rumors.

A Sigma always remembers to say, "Please." And he is quick to say, "Thank you."

A Sigma understands the meaning of the word no.

A Sigma knows how to listen.

A Sigma knows that listening is a skill that improves when it is regularly practiced.

When a Sigma feels that he has been subjected to an insult, he immediately knows the right response: He responds by saying nothing at all.

A Sigma has definite beliefs, but he thinks before voicing his opinions.
He recognizes that other people's beliefs are valid. He argues only over an issue that could save a life.

A Sigma does not openly attempt to correct the behavior of his friends. Instead he teaches by example.

A Sigma takes no part in petty arguments over unimportant topics.
Instead, he takes action to bring about change that is lasting and momumental.

When a Sigma speaks, he hopes to sound wise, or at the very least, he hopes to bring a smile to someones face. He never uses words to harm or demean another person. Even when he is silent, he can be eloquent, offering a listening ear, or a shoulder for a brother to lean upon.

adapated from "As A Gentleman Would Say" by John Bridges and Bryan Curtis

Verizon Wireless Black History Month Essay Contest (Northeast Area) - March 15th deadline

UNCF and Verizon Wireless have partnered to support high school seniors who are college-bound. The 2010 UNCF/VZNW Black History Month Essay contest is designed to allow qualified high school seniors the opportunity to earn college scholarships for the 2010-2011 academic year.

If you know of high school seniors with permanent residency in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, Maine, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Eastern Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland or the District of Columbia, please tell them of this opportunity to receive a Verizon Wireless Black History Month scholarship and prize package. Seniors must apply by March 15, 2010.

Twenty-five eligible students will be selected for the 2010-2011 academic year. The winners will receive scholarships of up to $5,000 and select students will also receive a personal technology make-over including an HP Netbook, a Motorola DROID cell phone and/or Verizon Wireless gift cards.

http://www.uncf.org/forstudents/scholarDetailSGA.asp?id=445

Jelly Belly ?

Developing a tummy bulge is much more than a cosmetic problem

Everyone likes a flat tummy. You look better in your underwear, jeans and bathing suit. But there are more serious consequences to belly fat. That's because belly fat, also called visceral fat, is metabolically different from the subcutaneous fat under our skin that insulates us and keeps us warm. "Belly fat is like an endocrine organ," says Arthur Agatston, M.D., author of The South Beach Diet Supercharged. "Because of this, belly fat puts out a lot of chemicals, including inflammatory cytokines, which can injure normal tissue."

But belly fat wasn't always bad for us. In fact, early man benefited from a little extra fat around the middle. "It was a survival mechanism," he says. "Early man was always going through periods of feast and famine and without belly fat wouldn't have had any energy reserves."

The hormone insulin is a major player in the storage of fat and helps store excess food energy in a "fuel tank reserve" in the belly. But if you don't regularly burn off the belly fat, "as your belly fat swells, you develop insulin resistance," says Dr. Agatston. "This means even bigger swings in blood sugar, which makes you hungrier, so you eat more. What saved people in the wild is killing us today. We were never meant to be carrying around belly fat to this extent."

Fat Facts

You can think of fat cells as energy-storage sites. "Fat cells are like a sponge," says Pete McCall, M.S., an exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise (ACE). "There are three times in your life when you will develop these fat cells, or storage sites: when you are in the uterus, during childhood at about age 4 or 5 and when you are an adolescent. If you're exposed to a high-fat diet in these stages, your body will produce more fat cells. You are training your body to take in more fat and store energy."

When we are babies, we also naturally have what is known as brown fat. Brown fat contains mitochondria, the part of the cell that produces energy, heat and blood flow. This is why it's present in babies, as a kind of natural insulation. But as we age, we lose our brown fat. Some people believe that if you could change white fat into brown fat, you would be able to lose weight more quickly, but to date there is no proven way to do this. Your best bet is to concentrate on the basics: diet and exercise.

Fat, Be Gone!

To help trim belly fat, look to your diet first. Dr. Agatston recommends avoiding refined carbohydrates (for example, sugar, white flour and products made with them; white potatoes; and pasta). He also suggests cutting out saturated fats (found primarily in fatty cuts of beef, lamb and pork; in poultry with the skin left on; and in high-fat dairy products) and trans fats found in stick margarines and vegetable shortenings (hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils). Aim instead for the nutrient- and fiber-rich carbohydrates found in whole fruits and vegetables, whole grains and legumes.

"Your body digests these complex carbohydrates more slowly, so you don't get the exaggerated swings in blood sugar that you do with refined carbs. Consequently, you're not as hungry," he says.

The other important element in controlling belly fat is exercise. "The best exercise," says McCall, "is the kind people are going to do on a regular basis." For many, walking is one of the most effective ways to expend energy. "When we don't walk enough, things start to break down," says McCall. "It's like leaving your car sitting in the driveway for two years. If you try to drive it, it's not going to work very well." So it's important to make walking a daily habit. "Walking two to three miles a day is excellent," he says.

Dr. Agatston feels that interval training—alternating short bursts of intensive effort with easier recovery periods—is another good option. "When you work at a higher intensity for part of the time," he says, "you end up burning more calories and fat (including the fat in your belly) in less time than you would if you maintained a steady pace." And there's a bonus, Dr. Agatston says. "With interval training, the higher the intensity of the exercise, the longer you'll continue to burn fat and calories after you've completed your exercise session."

Dr. Agatston recommends doing interval walking outdoors or on a treadmill or elliptical-trainer for 20 minutes every other day, alternating with core-strengthening exercises.

Belly Fat vs. Subcutaneous Fat

Superficial fat, or Subcutaneous fat, which is found under the skin, is meant to keep us warm and maintain normal bodily functions. It doesn't produce the inflammatory chemicals that the visceral, or "belly", fat does.

Visceral fat is attached to the outside of our abdominal organs, including the stomach, liver, spleen and bowels. "Visceral fat interrupts the normal production of hormones such as insulin, which breaks down carbohydrates to be used as energy," says McCall. It also disrupts the normal chemical controls for your body, and that can lead to type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure."

Belly fat is a risk factor for heart attack, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, macular degeneration and cancer. It also is a frequent precursor to metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and prediabetes. The bigger your waist is in relation to your hips, the more you may be at risk for these conditions. Typically, the risk is associated with a waist of 40 inches or greater in men and 35 inches or greater in women.

by Chrystle Fiedler
Remedy, March 2009, p.54
www.HealthCommunities.com

Brad Fowler Scholarship - April 5th deadline

The Brad Fowler Memorial Scholarship Fund offers a one-year, $3,500 scholarship to five high school seniors in San Diego County. The nominees must have demonstrated his or her ability to overcome personal obstacles associated with drugs or alcohol, a strong commitment to athletics, and continuing their personal growth and development through higher education. If you have any questions, please contact the San Diego Hall of Champions www.sdhoc.com

Payless Scholarship - March 31st deadline

Payless “Inspiring Possibilities” Scholarship. The scholarship directly supports youth enrolled in the Project Ready program who will enroll in an accredited college or university this fall.

To be eligible for a 2010-2011 Payless Inspiring Possibilities Scholarships, students must be a registered Project Ready participant, and submit materials by the scholarship deadline of March 31, 2010. For additional information about the nomination process, please visit www.nul.org or the local NUL affiliate office.

When I Grow Up

Boys call you sexy
And you don't care what they say
See every time you turn around
They screaming your name

Boys call you sexy
And you don't care what they say
See every time you turn around
They screaming your name

Now I've got a confession
When I was young I wanted attention
And I promised myself that I'd do anything
Anything at all for them to notice me

But I ain't complaining
We all wanna be famous
So go ahead and say what you wanna say

You don't know what it's like to be nameless
Want them to know what your name is
Cuz see when I was younger I would say

When I grow up
I wanna be famous
I wanna be a star
I wanna be in movies

When I grow up
I wanna see the world
Drive nice cars
I wanna have groupies

When I grow up
Be on TV
People know me
Be on magazines

When I grow up
Fresh and clean
Number one chick
When I step out on the scene

Be careful what you wish for
Cuz you just might get it
You just might get it
You just might get it

Be careful what you wish for
Cuz you just might get it
You just might get it
You just might get it

They used to tell me I was silly
Until I popped up on the TV
I always wanted to be a superstar
And knew that singing songs would get me this far

But I ain't complaining
We all wanna be famous
So go ahead and say what you wanna say

You don't know what it's like to be nameless
Want them to know what your name is
Cuz see when I was younger I would say

When I grow up
I wanna be famous
I wanna be a star
I wanna be in movies

When I grow up
I wanna see the world
Drive nice cars
I wanna have groupies

When I grow up
Be on TV
People know me
Be on magazines

When I grow up
Fresh and clean
Number one chick
When I step out on the scene

Be careful what you wish for
Cuz you just might get it
You just might get it
You just might get it

Be careful what you wish for
Cuz you just might get it
You just might get it
You just might get it

I see them staring at me
Ooh I'm a trendsetter
Yes this is true cuz what I do
No one can do it better

You can talk about me
Cuz I'm a hot topic
I see you watching me watching me
And I know you want it, oh

When I grow up
I wanna be famous
I wanna be a star
I wanna be in movies

When I grow up
I wanna see the world
Drive nice cars
I wanna have groupies

When I grow up
Be on TV
People know me
Be on magazines

When I grow up
Fresh and clean
Number one chick
When I step out on the scene

Be careful what you wish for
Cuz you just might get it
You just might get it
You just might get it

Be careful what you wish for
Cuz you just might get it
You just might get it
You just might get it

When I grow up
I wanna be famous
I wanna be a star
I wanna be in movies

When I grow up
I wanna see the world
Drive nice cars
I wanna have groupies

When I grow up
Be on TV
People know me
Be on magazines

When I grow up
Fresh and clean
Number one chick
When I step out on the scene

Be careful what you wish for
Cuz you just might get it
You just might get it
You just might get it

Be careful what you wish for
Cuz you just might get it
You just might get it
You just might get it


Songwriters: Jerkins, Rodney; Mccarty, J; Samwell-Smith, P; Thomas, T;

San Diego MLK Foundation Scholarships - deadline 3/5/2010

The San Diego Martin Luther King, Jr. Foundation will award three College Scholarships this year:
two for $7,500 each, and
one for $5,000.
The scholarships can be used at any fully accredited, four-year college or university of the recipient's choice. Applicants must be graduating high school seniors in the San Diego Unified School District.
The deadline for applications is March 5, 2010.

Mary Hubbard
Scholarship Coordinator
San Diego Martin Luther King, Jr. Foundation
(619) 463-1702
hubbworld@cox.net

The application form is located at www.carterreese.com Click on "community service."

Is it too soon to petition the Supreme Court on gay marriage?

Olson-Boies team hopes for a Supreme Court ruling that will transform the legal and social landscape nationwide, something on the order of Brown v. Board of Education, in 1954, or Loving v. Virginia, the landmark 1967 Supreme Court ruling that invalidated laws prohibiting interracial marriage.
Olson, who is sixty-nine, in early December, he sounded confident and impassioned; the case clearly fascinated him both as an intellectual challenge and as a way to make history. "The Loving case was forty-two years ago, and it's inconceivable to us these days to say that a couple of a different racial background can't get married." Olson said, "Separate is not equal. Civil unions and domestic partnerships are not the same as marriage. We're not inventing any new right, or creating a new right, or asking the courts to recognize a new right. The Supreme Court has said over and over and over again that marriage is a fundamental right, and although our opponents say, 'Well, that's always been involving a man and a woman,' when the Supreme Court has talked about it they've said it's an associational right, it's a liberty right, it's a privacy right, and it's an expression of your identity, which is all wrapped up in the Constitution."

-excerpt from "A Risky Proposal" by Margaret Talbot
The New Yorker, January 18, 2010, pps 40-52.

HACER scholarship deadline - Feb 16, 2010

Apply for a $100,000 Hispanic college scholarship

Since the inception of the RMHC/HACER program, more than 13,000 Hispanic students have been awarded more than $19.1 million in scholarships to support their college education.

The program nationally offrs four $100,000 scholarships eah year, as well as other local scholarships. Get you application and full details at MeEncanta.com. Reach for your goals! Entry deadline is February 16, 2010.

Giving and Getting – Philanthropic Activity among BGLO

According to C. Eric Lincoln and Lawrence H. Mamiya, "The tradition of mutual aid lay deep in the African heritage, which stressed a greater communalism and social solidarity than either European or American customs allowed. These incipient traditions of mutual aid and self-help in the slave quarters were formalized and legitimated with the Christianizing of the slaves in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries."[2] The growth of separate black churches gave African Americans the opportunity to establish the "first black-owned and operated institutions."[3] Since its inception, the black church has been the single most important institution involved in black philanthropy.[4] It has also been the chief beneficiary of the black community s giving efforts. According to Ann Abbe, "Clergy are often the most influential members of their communities, and church members are expected to support the church with frequent and/or large gifts."[5]

The majority of African Americans are taught from a young age that they have an obligation to give to the church. Through personal engagement and the establishment of a trusting bond, black preachers convey the needs of the church and consistently encourage their parishioners to support the work of the church—the will of God.[6] This obligation to give has provided the backbone for many black social movements in the United States, including the civil rights movement.[7] Black ministers were cognizant of the effect of racism on economic mobility in the United States and sought to create a sound financial base from which political and social change could take place.[8] Since their beginnings, black churches have acted as collection points for money, services, and goods that are pooled and redistributed.[9] According to Bradford Smith and colleagues, "the creation and evolution of the black church has been the most significant factor in the political, social, cultural, spiritual, educational and philanthropic development of African Americans in this country."[10] Thus, the black church is a key example of African American agency. Although forced on blacks by white slave owners, in the hands of black leaders, Christianity became an instrument for black emancipation.[11]

Often started as an arm of the church, mutual aid societies were also among the earliest organizations created by African Americans.[12] These societies began in the North and were typically founded by freedmen. In addition to meeting the spiritual needs of blacks, they addressed their physical and social needs.[13] The first recorded mutual aid society was the Free African Society, which was established in 1787 in Philadelphia by the African Methodist Episcopal and African Protestant Episcopal churches. Other organizations included the New York Society, the Union Society of Brooklyn, the African Union Society, the Wilberforce Benevolent Society, the Woolman Society, and the Clarkson Society.[14] Eventually, the mutual aid societies developed into cultural, eco­nomic, and political forces that helped advance blacks. Under the aegis of these organizations, African Americans joined together—trusting and relying on one another in dire circumstances. According to Lincoln and Mamiya, these loosely organized societies were the forerunners of national organizations such as the Urban League and the NAACP.[15] Further, Smith and colleagues note that influential black businesses such as the "National Benefit Life Insurance and the Central Life Insurance companies also owe their origins to mutual aid organizations."[16]

Beginning in 1775 with the establishment of the Prince Hall Masons, fraternal organizations began to work closely with the black church. These organizations were, first and foremost, communal and social, but they were also committed to healing social ills and contributing to the community. They often secured funds and gifts in kind from their members for poor and indi­gent women and children. Black fraternal organizations consisted of two types: those that were black chapters of already existing white organizations, and those that were established specifically for African Americans. Blacks created their own versions of the Masons (as mentioned), Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Eastern Star, Household of Ruth, Foresters, Shriners, and Elks. Those organiza­tions created by blacks for blacks included the Grand United Order of Galilean Fisherman, Colored Brotherhood and Sisterhood of Honor, Friends of Negro Freedom, International Order of Twelve, African Blood Brotherhood, Colored Consolidated Brotherhood, African Legion, and Knights of the Invisible Colored Kingdom. Many of the fraternal organizations established an auxiliary group of women, such as the Daughters of the Eastern Star for Masons.[17] Fraternal organizations were most prevalent in northeastern cities, including Boston, Philadelphia, and New York. These organizations contributed to a culture of "giving back" and "uplifting the race."

During the antebellum period, black women devised a variety of means of supporting causes that were important to the community. For example, they participated in "fairs" with white abolitionist women to support antislavery legislation. These black women also sponsored their own fairs to support the African Methodist Episcopal Church, abolitionist Frederick Douglass, and the Union Anti-Slavery Society. Other African American women's organizations held fairs to support the black press or orphaned black children.[18] These efforts by black women are yet another example of the importance of uplifting the race as a motivation for giving. African American elites (those in business and professional circles) have also created many social and service organizations for themselves. Because of the insular nature of these organizations and the fact that their membership is exclusively black, their philanthropic efforts go unnoticed by nonblacks and are often overlooked in discussions of African American philanthropy Among the women's groups in this category are the Links, Girl Friends, National Smart Set, Drifters, and Northeasterners. For men, the organizations include the Boule (Sigma Pi Phi), Comus Club, Reveille Club, Ramblers, Bachelor-Benedicts, and Guardsmen. African American children also belong to elite organizations—the most prominent being Jack and Jill.

According to a member of the Links, "Once you are a part of one of these groups, you end up knowing many more people in all the other groups too."[19] Because most of the elite organizations were founded on the premise of volunteerism and charitable giving, the potential for black philanthropy in these groups is obvious. For example, the Links proudly claim, "[Our] tradition is based on volunteerism. For over fifty years, the organization has gathered mo­mentum, continuously redefined its purposes, sharpened its focus, and expanded its program dimensions in order to make the name 'Links' synonymous with not only a chain of friendship, but also a chain of purposeful service."[20] Within these elite organizations, giving is an expectation—a requirement, in fact, of membership. The success of these black elite organizations in supporting a wide variety of philanthropic endeavors is made possible by the strong bonds of trust within the organization.[21] The historical origins of African American giving have shaped the current practices of the BGLOs.

“Giving and Getting – Philanthropic Activity among Black Greek-Letter Organizations” by Marybeth Gasman, Patricia Louison, and Mark Barnes
Gregory S. Parks, Editor, Black Greek-Letter Organizations in the Twenty-first Century, University of Kentucky Press, 2008, pp187-191

Notes
[1] To more fully understand the actions of these organizations, we drew on their published histories and secondary sources. To augment this knowledge, we conducted interviews with members of BGLOs—capturing the voices of those closest to the phil­anthropic action.
[2] C. Eric Lincoln and Lawrence H. Mamiya, The Black Church in the African American Experience (Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 1990), 242. This idea is reiterated in James A. Joseph, Remaking America: How the Benevolent Traditions of Many Cultures Are Transforming Our National Life (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1995).
[3] Bradford Smith, Sylvia Shue, Jennifer Lisa Vest, and Joseph Villarreal, Philan­thropy in Communities of Color (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1999), 10.
[4] Ibid.; Alicia Byrd, ed., Philanthropy and the Black Church (Washington, D.C.: Council on Foundations, 1990); E. Franklin Frazier, The Negro Church in America (New York: Schocken Books, 1963); C. Eric Lincoln, The Black Church since Frazier (New York: Schocken Books, 1974); E. Franklin Frazier, Black Bourgeoisie (New York: Free Press Paperbacks, 1997).
[5] M. Ann Abbe, "The Roots of Minority Giving: Understand the Philanthropic Traditions of Different Cultures to Solicit Them More Effectively," Case Currents (July 2002): 4.
[6] Lincoln and Mamiya, The Black Church.
[7] David Garrow, Philanthropy and the Civil Rights Movement (New York: Center for the Study of Philanthropy, 1987).
[8] Eric Anderson and Alfred A. Moss Jr., Dangerous Donations: Northern Philan­thropy and Southern Black Education, 1902-1930 (Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1999).
[9] Lincoln and Mamiya, The Black Church; Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, Righteous Discontent: The Womens Movement in the Black Baptist Church, 1880-1920 (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1993).
[10] Smith et al., Philanthropy in Communities of Color, 9.
[11] Anderson and Moss, Dangerous Donations.
[12] Lincoln and Mamiya, The Black Church.
[13] For more information, see Emmett D. Carson, A Charitable Appeals Fact Book: How Black and White Americans Respond to Different Types of Fund-Raising Efforts(Washington, D.C.: Joint Center for Political Studies, 1989); Emmett D. Carson, A Hand Up: Black Philanthropy and Self-Help in America (Washington, D.C.: Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies Press, 1993); Emmett D. Carson, "Black Philanthropy. Shaping Tomorrow's Nonprofit Sector," NSFRE Journal (summer 1989): 23-31; Emmett D. Carson, "Despite Long History, Black Philanthropy Gets Little Credit as 'Self-Help' Tool," Focus 15, no. 6 (June 1987); 3, 4, 76.
[14] Smith et al., Philanthropy in Communities of Color.
[15] Lincoln and Mamiya, The Black Church. More information on mutual aid societies can be found in V. P. Franklin, Black Self-Determination: A History of African American Resistance (New York; Lawrence Hill Books, 1992).
[16] Smith et al., Philanthropy in Communities of Color, 11.
[17] Lawrence Otis Graham, Our Kind of People: Inside Americas Black Upper Class (New York; Harper Perennial, 2000).
[18] Beverly Gordon, Bazaars and Fair Ladies: The History of the American Fundraising Fair (Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1998).
[19] Graham, Our Kind of People, 113.
[20] Links Inc. publicity materials, 2001.
[21] Graham, Our Kind of People.

Why is the unexpected any kind of surprise anymore?

We live now in a vicarious age, but we don't live our lives through other people. Instead, we live our own lives vicariously through what our technology creates. It brings us community by allowing us to gather together, without really moving, in a virtual space far from the reality of events, and the more sophisticated the technology, the farther that distance, until we find ourselves with several personal realities from which to choose. We live our lives through things, not in them. We invest ourselves in our artificial realities rather than involve ourselves with the actual one, which is boring and slow and not as efficient. It becomes easy then to categorize the events that happen, to compartmentalize them within the parameters of our created realities — Republican and Democrat, red and blue, liberal and conservative, urban and rural — so that they make some sort of sense. The technologies that are now at our fingertips promise a reality as efficient and logical as they are. They represent us in those realities, and we live vicariously through our little machines.
So why are we surprised by surprises? Because even the shocking is supposed to be predictable now. We carry computers now in our pockets and in our purses and on the dashboard of the car. Because at those moments when the towers fall or the city drowns or a balloon goes up, there is a long moment before we're able to work the actual events into the realities we have created for ourselves. That is what passes for surprise these days — that long moment of hesitation when the real world cracks through again, those first few hours before we have had a chance to remove ourselves again through our technologies to that distant place within which they bring us together, the places we can go without ever moving at all. Things are real again, and then gone.
- Charles Pierce, Esquire, January 2010

Washington DC Summer Leadership Program - Jan 29th deadline

The Institute for Responsible Citizenship is currently accepting applications for its summer leadership program in Washington, DC. The Institute provides America’s best and brightest African American male college students with unparalleled networking opportunities, leadership development, and life-long mentorship.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
• Exposure to congressmen, Supreme Court justices, doctors, business executives, educators, and other influential leaders
• Rigorous academic seminars
• Roundtable discussions, including seminars on leadership development
• High-level internships around Washington, DC
• Activities that promote strong bonds with each other

PROGRAM DETAILS
• The program runs from June 5 to July 31, 2010
• Students must commit to two-summers
• Housing is paid for by the Institute
• Students work at paid internships based on their career interest

You should be a college sophomore to apply. The Institute does not have a GPA requirement. However, the median GPA for recent classes is 3.65. An applicant’s GPA is not the only criterion that is evaluated during the admissions process. Campus involvement, awards earned, athletics, and volunteer work are also important factors.

The application can be found on the web at www.i4rc.org/application.htm. Applications must be received, not postmarked, by the deadline - January 29, 2010. Inquiries should be directed to info@i4rc.org or (202) 659-2831.

The Institute for Responsible Citzenship
We Inspire the best and brightest African American men to be men of great character who will make significant contributions to their communities, their country, and the world.
1227 25th Street, NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, DC 20037 www.i4rc.org

Bank of America Student Leaders Program - Feb 17th deadline

The Bank of America Charitable Foundation’s Neighborhood Excellence Initiative® is accepting applications for 2010 awards. This program recognizes and rewards individuals and organizations making a difference in communities across the country, and is divided into three categories: Neighborhood Builders®, Local Heroes and Student Leaders®.

We would like your help to spread the word about the Student Leaders Program, an exciting opportunity for high school juniors and seniors.

Since its inception in 2004, the Bank of America Student Leaders Program has recognized more than 1,000 high school juniors and seniors identified as exemplary young people with a passion for improving their communities. The program helps students gain a greater understanding of how nonprofits create impact in the community and helps develop them as the next generation of community leaders through two components:

• A summer 2010 eight-week paid internship with selected nonprofit organizations designed to provide opportunities for the students to develop and apply leadership skills through hands-on work experience, while raising their awareness of community issues addressed by their Host Organization.

• A week-long all-expense paid Student Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. Conducted in partnership with the Close Up Foundation, the Summit introduces students to aspects of civic, social and business leadership and provides them with knowledge and skills they will use throughout their life to create positive community change.

If you would like additional information regarding the Neighborhood Excellence Initiative Student Leaders program, please send an email to debbie.gonzales@bankofamerica.com. Please note the fast approaching application deadline of February 17th for the 2010 Student Leaders Program.

We appreciate your help to spread the word about the Bank of America Student Leaders Program.

Thank you,
Debbie Gonzales
Corporate Social Responsibility Market Specialist
Bank of America - San Diego County
Tel: 619.515.7101 / Fax: 213.457.2576 / Email: debbie.gonzales@bankofamerica.com

Live Your Life by T.I.

You're gonna be a shining star (That's right)
With fancy clothes and fancy ca-ars (Hey, hey, hey, yeah)
And then you'll see, you're gonna go far (Go, hey)
Cause everyone knows (They know), just who you a-are (Rihanna, let's get it!)

So live your life,
You steady chasing that paper
Just live your life
Ain't got no time for no haters
Just live your life
No telling where it'll take you
Just live your life
Cause I'm a paper chaser

Just livin' my life (Ay!)
My life (Oh!)
My life (Ay!)
My life (Oh!) (Put your hands up!)
Just livin' my life (Ay!)
My life (Oh!)
My life (Ay!)
My life (Oh!) (Let me see you put your hands up!)

Hey, Never mind what haters say, ignore them 'til they fade away
Amazing they ungrateful for after all the game I gave away
Safe to say I paved the way, for you cats to get paid today
You'd still be wasting days away, now had I never saved the day

Consider them my protégé, homage I think they should pay
Instead of being gracious, they violate in a major way
I never been a hater, still I love them in a crazy way
Some say they so yay and no they couldn't get work on Labor Day

It ain't that black and white, it has an area that's shaded gray
I'm west side anyway, even if I left today and stayed away
Some move away to make a way not move away cause they afraid
I brought back to the hood and all you ever did was take away

I pray for patience but they make me wanna melt their face away
Like I once made them spray, now I could make them put their taze away
Been thuggin' all my life, can't say I don't deserve to take a break
If you ever see me catch a case, and watch my future fade away

You're gonna be a shining star (That's right)
With fancy clothes and fancy ca-ars (Hey, hey, hey, yeah)
And then you'll see, you're gonna go far (Go, hey)
Cause everyone knows (They know), just who you a-are

So live your life,
You steady chasing that paper
Just live your life
Ain't got no time for no haters
Just live your life
No telling where it'll take you
Just live your life
Cause I'm a paper chaser

Just livin' my life
My life
My life
My life
Just livin' my life
My life
My life
My life

I'm the opposite of moderate, immaculately polished with
The spirit of a hustler and the swagger of a college kid
Allergic to the counterfeit, impartial to the politics
Articulate but still would grab a nigga by the collar quick

Whoever having problems with, their record sales just holla Tip
If that don't work and all else fails, then turn around and follow Tip
I got love for the game but ay I'm not in love with all of it
'Could do without the fame and the rappers nowadays are comedy

The hootin' and the hollerin', back and forth with the arguing
Where you from, who you know, what you make and what kind of car you in
Seems as though you lost sight of what’s important with the positive
And checks until your bank account and you up out of poverty

Your values is a disarray, prioritizing horribly
Unhappy with your riches cause you're piss poor morally
Ignoring all prior advice and forewarning
And we mighty full of ourselves all of a sudden aren't we?

You're gonna be a shining star (That's right)
With fancy clothes and fancy ca-ars (Hey, hey, hey, yeah)
And then you'll see, you're gonna go far (Go, hey)
Cause everyone knows (They know), just who you a-are (Okay, now)

So live your life,
You steady chasing that paper
Just live your life
Ain't got no time for no haters
Just live your life
No telling where it'll take you
Just live your life
Cause I'm a paper chaser

Just livin' my life
My life
My life
My life
Just livin' my life
My life
My life
My life

Got everybody watching what I do
Come walk in my shoes
And see the way I'm livin' if you really want to
Got my mind on my money, and I'm not going away

So keep on gettin' 'ya paper (Ah)
And keep on climbin' (Ah)
Look in the mirror (Ah)
And keep on shinin' (Shinin')
'Til the game end,
'Til the clock stop,
We 'gon post up on the top stop

Livin' my life
My life
Got a brand new CD
Got my whole team livin' life
My life
I do it how I wanna do
I'm livin' my life
My life
I will never lose
I'm livin' my life
My life
And I'm not stoppin'

Ma ya hee, ma ya haa
Ma ya hoo, ma ya ha ha
Ma ya hee, ma ya haa
Ma ya hoo, ma ya ha ha

Ma ya hee, ma ya haa
Ma ya hoo, ma ya ha ha
Ma ya hee, ma ya haa
Ma ya hoo, ma ya ha ha (So live your life)

Challenge – Day 5

I added “Crunchy Bugs on A Log” - celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins/granola to dinner tonight. Barbara and I liked it, Andrew said it is different. Note to self, to increase time spent during morning workout to increase my caloric burn.

I am happy to report that I’ve saved $3 by bring my own coffee into work and not supporting Starbucks. While I do like the crew at "my" Starbucks, I read that I could save over $350 dollars annually if I brought my coffee from home rather than at Starbucks. Like my grandmother said, “Dimes roll up into dollars.”

Did you know that it will take you 41 years to pay off a $2,500 balance on a credit card with 19% interest if you make only the minimum monthly payments. At the end of that 41 year period you will have paid the credit card company $10,598 on top of the $2,500.

½ cup of coffee
1 bottle of water
Lunch: bowl of tomato basil soup w/two rolls and glass of ice water
Dinner: cold chicken salad w/low fat French dressing and unsweetened ice tea.

Tuesday
December 1, 2009 @ 749 hrs
BP: 124/93
Pulse: 93
Weight: 229.0 lbs

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