SMH. From CNN:

The worst charity in America operates from a metal warehouse behind a gas station in Holiday, Florida.

 

Every year, Kids Wish Network raises millions of dollars in donations in the name of dying children and their families.

 

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Soher Ebrahim

This week, I watched and read about three teenage girls who do to their gender and culture, have suffered greatly, one to the point of death. First, from Bust:

HA!

This is so cool! My friend Maria passes along this video:

Me and Jos all decked out at church as girls.

I posted a quote from Alice Walker's "The Color Purple" this morning on Facebook. It led to a long string of back and forths on a literature and movies and criticism. In the middle of this, I wrote:

Still, twenty years later, my favorite Disney movie. Any wonder why?

"Do you trust me?... Do you trust me?," K asked me earnestly.

Leila Noelliste, creator and editor-in-chief of Black Girl with Long Hair, is a lot of things: daughter, wife, mother, journalist and Chicogoan. She is also incredibly busy. How she manages one of the most popular Black culture and beauty websites while balancing quality time with family amazes me. Yet, despite the hectic schedule, she took the time to play Q&A with me, and it's a total win.

Good Saturday morning! The remnants of Andrea have passed, and the sun is out shining brightly here in Dirty Jerz. I'm in a mess of pain- back, legs, particularly my left thigh, and shoulders. I took Zoe out alone on Thursday, and have been paying for it since. Thing is, we live in an apartment building and in order to get in or out, we must traverse a small flight of stairs and a decent length of halls (one friend once quipped that it reminded her of "The Shining"). Zoe has mastered going up stairs unassisted, but down is another question. Since stairs are a tricky mater for me all by myself due to the CIDP, I refuse to have her walk down yet with me. So I loaded her into the baby backpack, something I haven't done since last year. And well, she is FAR heavier now. We made it down fine, and then headed to Starbucks for lunch, then to the park, and then over to my dad and stepmom's. Dad didn't stick around long. He had to take nephew Justin to the dentist, but stepmom Kathy and I talked for hours. It was a good day. This soreness is anything but. So, enough about me, and on to the links.

My goddaughter Sapphira, enjoying her morning cup of joe.

I read with interest my fellow BOLD writer Carmen Fletcher's "Confessions of a Preacher Kid: Chelsea Stanton". I can relate. Me, too.

I actually come from a long ministerial line; my great-grandfather, Clarence, grandfather, Joseph, and grandmother, Bernice, all did pulpit time. In addition, my dad, stepmom, an uncle and a couple of cousins are carrying on the family legacy, and my brother most recently felt the call.

I, on the other hand, have no intention of donning any robe other than for the bath.

Read the rest at BOLD.

Five years ago today, K and I had our first date. I asked him out with help from a mini-green Post-It. I chose a local diner right down the street from our jobs. I figured 11AM would work, not too early for our day off, but still early enough that if it were a total flop, I'd still have the rest of the day to erase the bad date fumes.

I showed up a good fifteen to twenty minutes late, pulling my old red Hyndai Elantra into the spot next to his shiny silver Honda Civic. He had arrived on time. I stepped out, wearing brown open toed platforms, blue jeans and a loose black top. As I looked into his car, trying to judge if he looked upset for my being on colored folk time, I instead noticed how very sexy he was. He had on a black Yankee hat, slightly cocked to the side. He got out, long legs, brown skin, and sweet eyes, and then handed me a big, beautiful bouquet of mixed flowers.

I've been enjoying Retro Report, which features a series of videos on stories that were huge in the eighties and nineties and their aftermath. I find these stories fascinating because not only is it a mini-history lesson, but they also display how absolutely wrong the media can be in reporting. Check them out:

Flickr /Jess Pac

Thomas of The Crystal Tambourine passes along this story by Eve Tushnet, who writes at The Atlantic of being a lesbian and a faithful, practicing Catholic.

 

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(Source)

Off the blog, I have gotten requests for certain topics, and masturbation was one of them. Is it okay? For singles? For married couples? Why or why not?

Can you believe it's June already? Where does the time go?

Tony who? Meet the new Iron Man.

(Source)

When news broke recently that Tina Campbell, of famed Gospel duo Mary Mary, was dealing with infidelity in her marriage, fans were in shock. Opening up to Ebony, Tina shared that her husband, Teddy, had cheated. The couple are now requesting prayers and fasting from supporters and fans.

So I'm still at work on that painting. I've been flipping through the stack of glossy mags my mother-in-law sent me from Trinidad for inspiration. The colors- the rich greens, blues and purples- are being transplanted onto the posterboard.

Yesterday, I added some pretty pink flowers and a drum.

(Shiny Shiny)

From Business 2 Community:

Very cool short film from On the Media:

What a beautiful mind.

From All Christian News, via The Old Black Church:

Gospel singer Kirk Frankin is now in the cross-hairs of the gay community for speaking out against homosexuality.  LGBT activists are putting pressure on the Washington, DC government for paying the singer $80,000 to perform this year for the city’s Emancipation Day celebration.

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Sunday's New York Times