Month: February 2012

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How I Would Fix the US Postal System

I was watching television the other day  and saw this commercial from the US Postal Service.  Is this the best they could come up with?

This lovely ad describes how everyone needs that piece of paper (i.e. mail) to file away because “a cork board has never been hacked”.  They seemed to have overlooked the fact that no one wants paper anymore.

That’s where I come in.  Speaking as someone that has no inside knowledge of the postal service, I offer these suggestions to improve the mail system.  This is at no cost to my fellow taxpayers.  You’re welcome.

1.  Raise the price of a stamp to 50 cents and be done with it.  Why do they keep inching the price up in increments of a penny?  I shouldn’t have to scrape up pennies to buy a stamp.  Let’s keep the price divisible by five as a general rule.

2.  Update those uniforms.  The blue is not really working anymore.  They should get with the new spring fashions.  Add a sorbet color to the uniform or use some color blocking.  I’m sure some fashion designer would job at the chance to design a new look.

3.  No one actually wants to go to the post office.  Make it an event.  Have someone at the door (a la Walmart greeter) to offer assistance.  Offer beverages while you wait on line.

4.  Have an express  lane so if you just need to pick up a registered letter you don’t have to wait behind some guy mailing six packages.

5.  Actually have working stamp machines.  (I know, too radical.)

6.  And finally, stop delivering on Saturdays. It’s the weekend.  Take the day off.

Any suggestions for the postal service?

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Family Ties

My beautiful grandmother

This past weekend the whole family hopped a plane and landed in Houston to celebrate my grandmother’s 80th birthday.  We spent four days catching up with family, eating homemade gumbo and watching the Whitney Houston funeral.  Everyone left with the intention of staying in touch but it made me wonder.  Is it possible to stay in touch with people you don’t see often and don’t know that well?

Now Grandma and I are close.  I’ve seen her more often over the course of growing up.  We used to write each other letters (remember when that was the preferred method of communication) and we talk on the phone.  We are as close as two people who live 1,000 miles apart can be.   My grandmother is the coolest 80-year-old I know.  She is a wealth of old school wisdom with enough spunk to still drive her new Chrysler 200 and  have wireless internet in her house.  I just love to sit wherever she is and listen.  The woman could have been a comedienne in a former life.

I also have an uncle, two aunts, a large number of cousins, their spouses and all of their children.  Being around all of my relatives left me with a feeling of camaraderie but no real connection.  We are all bound by blood as evidenced by the pictures that grace my grandmother’s home.  I could even remember summers spend in Texas as a kid.  But once we all grew up, life had a way of making us virtual strangers.

As we all know, relationships take time and effort to maintain.  My question is who has time?  Who has the time and energy to establish and maintain a real relationship (beyond Facebook) with relatives that you rarely see?  Is it worth it?

Any advice?  How do you keep in touch with long-lost relatives?

 

 

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How Do You Measure Love?

 

Now that the spectacle of Valentine’s Day is over, we can get back to our regular love lives.  Full disclosure:  I’m not a big fan of February 14th.  Maybe it’s all the flowers and candy hearts.  Maybe it’s the over abundance of cupids and cards.  Maybe its the forced display of gifts signifying someone cared enough to send the very best.  I think it’s all of the above but mostly it is the commercialization of it all.

When I was  younger, V-day held a lot of weight.  I would measure the value of my  relationship by the amount of gifts I received.  With age comes wisdom and now I know that one day does not define a relationship.

My husband always delivers on Valentine’s Day and we celebrate along with the masses.  But I’ll take the everyday displays of love over cards and flowers every time.  The small acts of love like relinquishing the “big” television so that I can watch Grey’s Anatomy and Braxton Family Values.   The routine task of taking my car for service or planning our annual family vacation.  Giving me a call during the work day.  Buying me a laptop when I said I wanted to be a writer.    (Still working on that one, honey.) Being there through whatever life throws our way.  My husband’s love is on full display when he goes to a job that he hates but provides for our family.  He shows love in a thousand ways that don’t involve balloons or a piece of candy.

Valentine’s Day can be fun.  But I’ll take the every day gifts of love every time.  How do you measure love?

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R.I.P. Whitney Houston

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday news quickly spread over the internet of Whitney Houston’s passing. I took this news hard. Whitney was “the Voice”.  She had a style that many have tried to imitate.  I remember when she came on the scene.  I was a teenager and her ballads (Saving all my Love For You and You Give Good Love) spoke to my visions of love .  She continued to gift us with songs throughout the years and I loved them all.  If I was doing a soundtrack for my life, Whitney would be in the mix.

Here is my tribute to a wonderful singer.  R.I.P. Whitney.  You will be missed.

“I Want to Dance With Somebody”

“I’m Your Baby Tonight”  – One of my all time favorites

“I Learned From the Best”

“Greatest Love of All”

“I’m Every Woman”

Enjoy!

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Does Love Need a License (Marriage) to Be Real?

Love is Love, right?

The February  issue of Essence magazine features Miami Heat basketball star Dwyane Wade and Actress Gabrielle Union.  The internets immediately erupted in outrage that the unmarried couple was featured on the love issue of the magazine.  This made me wonder:  Does love need a marriage license to be real?

The charges against the couple being featured on a major publication range from the “they’re not married” to “she is a homewrecker/he is an adulterer”.  The second stance, (homewrecker/adultery), can be easily dismissed.  Yes, he was married and probably cheated on his wife.  I would reason that Gabrielle wasn’t the first woman Dwyane was with.  She is only the most famous.  We (the public) don’t know the timetable of Dwyane’s separation and divorce.  I believe some things should be private even for celebrities.  Bottom line, we don’t know these people.  The only thing we know for certain is that he plays basketball for a living.  We know she has been in some movies.  In essence (see what I did there?), we don’t know anything.

Okay, one thing we do know is that they aren’t married to each other.  So what?  According to the article, they have been together for three years now.  They profess their love and respect for each other.  By their own account, they are living together and co-parenting Dwyane’s two sons.  Sounds like love to me.  Why does society place so much importance on a marriage license?

I am a married woman and I wouldn’t love my husband any less if we weren’t married.  I bet a lot of married people would agree.  So what does that license really symbolize?   Could it be saying that two people have chosen to live together, co-mingle funds, and provide insurance for each other?  If a marriage license solidifies a business relationship, why do people claim it symbolizes the legitimacy of love?

I believe Gabrielle and Dwyane are deserving of  being featured on the cover of a magazine.  If they say it’s love, why should a license be required?

 

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Super Monday – Super Bowl Review

Super Bowl Sunday has come and gone. (Congratulations to the New York Giants.)   The only thing left now is the analysis of the event.   SportsCenter has that whole football review on lock so I won’t get into that.

I didn’t have a vested interest in who won the actual game so I focused on the commericals. Every year there is this big build up. And much like the game itself, this year’s batch were pretty lame until the end.

Here are my picks for the best of the bunch:

I was looking forward to the Ferris Bueller/Matthew Broderick ad.  It didn’t disappoint.

Another great spot from Volkswagon.

Gotta love Seinfeld.

Doritos nailed it with this one.

And my personal favorite, Betty White.

Until next year, enjoy!

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“NO VOTE FOR YOU: A PRIMER” by @emokidsloveme | Angry Black Lady Chronicles

We had this discussion in the office the other day.  This article explains it  better than I could.

“NO VOTE FOR YOU: A PRIMER” by @emokidsloveme | Angry Black Lady Chronicles.